Potential Substrates for Low-Cost Flexible Supercapacitors
نویسنده
چکیده
Over the past several years, there has been a growing interest in the application of supercapacitors as replacements for conventional batteries, which are significant contributors of heavy metals into the environment. Flexible supercapacitors, unlike the traditional rigid supercapacitor, can be constructed with more accessible and cheaper flexible substrates. I constructed carbon nanotube (CNT) test samples using three low-cost substrates—polydemethylsiloxane (PDMS), polycarbonate (PC), and Scotch-brand matte adhesive tape—and looked at whether or not stress on the horizontally-aligned CNT affected the supercapacitor’s performance with respect to capacitance, resistance, and cost. Using a Teflon tube to achieve horizontally-aligned carbon nanotubes (HA-CNT) prior to delamination in deionized water, the CNT were subjected to bending tests of varying degrees on all three substrates as well as cycling tests to measure specific capacitance in both a concave and convex orientation. There was no significant increase in resistance in any of the substrates to indicate a damaged CNT forest. Specific capacitances for the densified CNT samples were at least twice that of an undensified CNT sample. As for which material is best, because the PDMS, PC, and tape samples all performed well in the resistance tests, the choice depends on the application and which characteristics are required of the substrate. With its already remarkably high power density and long lifetime, flexible supercapacitor can now be manufactured at a lower cost and applied to a wider range of technologies than traditional rigid supercapacitors, providing the necessary foothold for future supercapacitors in the competitive energy storage market.
منابع مشابه
Cost Effective and Scalable Synthesis of MnO2 Doped Graphene in a Carbon Fiber/PVA: Superior Nanocomposite for High Performance Flexible Supercapacitors
In the current study, we report new flexible, free standing and high performance electrodes for electrochemical supercapacitors developed througha scalable but simple and efficient approach. Highly porous structures based on carbon fiber and poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were used as a pattern. The electrochemical performances of Carbon fiber/GO-MnO2/CNT supercapacitors were characteriz...
متن کاملAll-solid-state flexible supercapacitors based on papers coated with carbon nanotubes and ionic-liquid-based gel electrolytes.
All-solid-state flexible supercapacitors were fabricated using carbon nanotubes (CNTs), regular office papers, and ionic-liquid-based gel electrolytes. Flexible electrodes were made by coating CNTs on office papers by a drop-dry method. The gel electrolyte was prepared by mixing fumed silica nanopowders with ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([EMIM][NTf...
متن کاملPorous honeycomb structures formed from interconnected MnO2 sheets on CNT-coated substrates for flexible all-solid-state supercapacitors
The use of lightweight and easily-fabricated MnO2/carbon nanotube (CNT)-based flexible networks as binder-free electrodes and a polyvinyl alcohol/H2SO4 electrolyte for the formation of stretchable solid-state supercapacitors was examined. The active electrodes were fabricated from 3D honeycomb porous MnO2 assembled from cross-walled and interconnected sheet-architectural MnO2 on CNT-based plast...
متن کاملFlexible, planar-integrated, all-solid-state fiber supercapacitors with an enhanced distributed-capacitance effect.
Flexible and highly efficient energy storage units act as one of the key components in portable electronics. In this work, by planar-integrated assembly of hierarchical ZnCo₂O₄ nanowire arrays/carbon fibers electrodes, a new class of flexible all-solid-state planar-integrated fiber supercapacitors are designed and produced via a low-cost and facile method. The as-fabricated flexible devices exh...
متن کاملControllable Synthesis of Graphene by Plasma‐Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition and Its Related Applications
Graphene and its derivatives hold a great promise for widespread applications such as field-effect transistors, photovoltaic devices, supercapacitors, and sensors due to excellent properties as well as its atomically thin, transparent, and flexible structure. In order to realize the practical applications, graphene needs to be synthesized in a low-cost, scalable, and controllable manner. Plasma...
متن کامل