Stretchable and conductive cellulose hydrogel electrolytes for flexible and foldable solid-state supercapacitors.
Kefeng Zhang1, Yanjun Pang1, Changzhou Chen2
1State Key Laboratory Base of Eco-chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science & Technology, Qingdao 266042, China.
Carbohydrate Polymers
|July 7, 2022
Summary
Synthesized novel anti-freezing conductive hydrogel electrolytes using polyacrylamide, lithium chloride, and water-soluble cellulose acetate. These hydrogels maintain flexibility and conductivity at -80°C, showing promise for extreme cold applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Polymer Science
Background:
- Hydrogel electrolytes are crucial for energy storage devices.
- Conventional electrolytes face challenges in extreme cold environments.
- Developing robust and conductive hydrogels is essential for wider applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize novel anti-freezing conductive hydrogel electrolytes.
- To enhance mechanical and anti-freezing properties of hydrogels.
- To evaluate the performance of hydrogel electrolytes in supercapacitors under extreme cold conditions.
Main Methods:
- Facile synthesis of polyacrylamide/lithium chloride/water-soluble cellulose acetate (PAM/LiCl/WSCA) hydrogels.
- Characterization of mechanical properties (tensile strength, toughness).
- Assessment of anti-freezing properties and electrical conductivity at low temperatures.
- Fabrication and testing of supercapacitors using the synthesized hydrogel electrolyte.
Main Results:
- PAM/LiCl/WSCA hydrogels exhibited significantly enhanced mechanical strength (341 KPa tensile strength, 1.2 MJ/m³ toughness).
- The hydrogel electrolyte remained soft, flexible, and conductive at -80°C.
- Supercapacitors demonstrated excellent stability with 64.64% capacitance retention at -40°C after 10,000 charge-discharge cycles and 500 folding cycles.
Conclusions:
- The facile fabrication method yields hydrogel electrolytes with outstanding anti-freezing and mechanical properties.
- The developed hydrogel electrolyte is suitable for supercapacitors operating in extreme cold environments.
- This work offers a new approach for applying hydrogels in sub-zero temperature energy storage.
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