Effective electrodeposition of poly(5-nitroindole) loaded on LaNiO3/carbon cloth as high-performance electrode for supercapacitors

LaNiO 3 , as a promising pseudocapacitive material, exhibits multiple valence states (Ni²⁺/Ni³⁺) and adjustable conductivity. However, the poor cycle life and limited electrolyte accessibility of LaNiO 3 currently restrict its potential applications. To address these challenges, poly(5-nitroindole) is loaded on LaNiO 3 /carbon cloth by a simple electrodeposition method as a novel electrode for supercapacitors. The electron-withdrawing nitro (-NO 2 ) group in poly(5-nitroindole) not only enhances surface hydrophilicity but also introduces additional redox active sites, substantially boosting the pseudocapacitance performance. Furthermore, the synergistic combination of LaNiO 3 with high conductivity and poly(5-nitroindole) with porous nano-network structure establishes an efficient conductive framework, significantly reducing charge transfer resistance and enhancing the stability of composite electrodes. As a result, the composite electrode delivers a high areal/gravimetric capacitance of 594.4 mF cm −2 /807.6 F g −1 at 0.5 mA cm −2 and long cycling stability with 76.0 % retention of its initial capacitance after 10,000 cycles. Moreover, the electrochemical behavior analysis has confirmed the simultaneous effect of surface storage capacitance and diffusion processes of the prepared composite electrode, and the porous nano-network structure of poly(5-nitroindole) effectively optimizes the adsorption/diffusion pathways of electrolyte ions. This work provides a feasible strategy for designing high-performance supercapacitor electrodes by integrating conductive perovskites with functionalized conducting polymers.