Organic Radical-Boosted Ionic Conductivity in Redox Polymer Electrolyte for Advanced Fiber-Shaped Energy Storage...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Flexible energy storage devices require solid electrolytes to prevent short circuits and leakage during deformation.
• Polymer electrolytes offer robustness and flexibility but suffer from low ionic conductivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a redox polymer electrolyte (HT_RPE) with enhanced ionic conductivity and electrochemical performance for fiber-shaped energy storage devices (FSESDs).
• To utilize 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (HT) as a multifunctional additive to improve polymer electrolyte properties.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (HT) as a plasticizer and ion conduction pathway enhancer in polymer electrolytes.
• Fabrication of symmetric FSESDs using carbon-based fiber electrodes and the developed HT_RPE.
• Electrochemical characterization including ionic conductivity measurements, energy density, power density, and stability tests under bending conditions.

Main Results:

• Achieved high ionic conductivity of 73.5 mS cm⁻¹ with a low activation energy of 0.13 eV.
• Demonstrated excellent electrochemical performance with an energy density of 25.4 Wh kg⁻¹ at 25,000 W kg⁻¹.
• Exhibited remarkable stability with 91.2% capacitance retention after 8,000 bending cycles.

Conclusions:

• The developed HT_RPE offers a promising solution for high-performance flexible energy storage by enhancing both ionic conductivity and energy storage capability.
• The multifunctional role of HT in improving polymer chain mobility and ion transport is highlighted.
• This work provides a versatile pathway for next-generation wearable power sources.