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Published on: November 30, 2021
Printable thin film supercapacitors using single-walled carbon nanotubes
Martti Kaempgen1, Candace K Chan, J Ma
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.
Nano Letters
|April 8, 2009
Summary
Printable thin film supercapacitors using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) offer high energy and power densities. This research highlights their potential for flexible, fully printable charge storage devices.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Flexible electronics require advanced energy storage solutions.
- Printed electronics demand integrated, scalable energy storage components.
- Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) offer excellent electrical properties for electrodes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate thin film supercapacitors using printable materials.
- To evaluate the performance of these supercapacitors with different electrolytes.
- To demonstrate the potential for fully printable energy storage devices.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of thin film supercapacitors on plastic substrates.
- Use of sprayed networks of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as electrodes and charge collectors.
- Testing with both printable aqueous gel electrolyte and organic liquid electrolyte.
Main Results:
- Achieved high energy densities of 6 Wh/kg with both electrolytes.
- Demonstrated high power densities of 23 kW/kg (aqueous gel) and 70 kW/kg (organic liquid).
- Performance is comparable to conventionally fabricated SWCNT supercapacitors.
Conclusions:
- Printable thin film supercapacitors exhibit promising energy and power characteristics.
- The simplified architecture and use of printable materials enable scalable production.
- These devices pave the way for fully printable charge storage integrated with printed electronics.
