Abstract The Cu–poly(acrylic) acid (PAA) thin films were deposited at room temperature by a simple and cost effective polymer assisted deposition (PAD) method. The solution containing Cu salt and PAA was spin coated to yield the thin films with desired properties. The Cu–PAA films were annealed at 400 °C in ambient air for 4 h to obtain CuO–PAA phase. The effect of PAA concentration on the film properties is studied and characterized by employing various techniques. The structural and surface morphological studies are carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and FT-Raman spectroscopy are employed to investigate the hybrid film formation. Wetting behavior is studied by measuring the contact angle of water on the film surface. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) studies were carried out to investigate the specific capacitance of CuO–PAA films in aqueous 1 M H 2 SO 4 electrolyte. Hybrid films deposited with 2 mM PAA exhibits highest specific capacitance of 65 F g −1 .