Highly Self-Healable 3D Microsupercapacitor with MXene-Graphene Composite Aerogel

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Three-dimensional (3D) microsupercapacitors (MSCs) offer enhanced energy storage capacity.
• Mechanical instability of 3D electrodes limits practical applications of MSCs.
• Developing self-healing materials is crucial for durable electronic devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate a self-healable 3D MSC with improved mechanical stability and energy storage performance.
• To investigate the self-healing capability and electrochemical properties of the developed MSC.
• To provide a method for creating next-generation long-life multifunctional electronic devices.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a 3D MXene-graphene (reduced graphene oxide, rGO) composite aerogel electrode.
• Encapsulation of the aerogel electrode within a self-healing polyurethane outer shell.
• Electrochemical characterization including specific capacitance and cycling performance testing.
• Evaluation of self-healing ability through repeated healing cycles.

Main Results:

• The 3D MXene-rGO aerogel electrode exhibited a large area specific capacitance of 34.6 mF cm⁻² at 1 mV s⁻¹.
• The MSC demonstrated outstanding cycling stability with 91% capacitance retention over 15,000 cycles.
• The self-healable MSC retained 81.7% of its specific capacitance after five healing cycles.

Conclusions:

• The self-healable 3D MSC based on MXene-rGO aerogel offers a promising approach for robust energy storage.
• The developed material combines high conductivity, specific surface area, and self-healing properties.
• This work contributes to the design of sustainable and long-life multifunctional electronic devices.