Polyanionic alginate-regulated hydrogel electrolytes for flexible carbon-based supercapacitors operating in a wide
Tan Binh Nguyen1, Marcela María Godoy Zúniga2, Trung Tien Tran3
1Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon-si 16419, Republic of Korea; Center for Composite Materials and Concurrent Design, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon-si 16419, Republic of Korea.
Carbohydrate Polymers
|July 30, 2025
Summary
This study developed advanced polyanionic hydrogel electrolytes for flexible supercapacitors (SCs). The novel electrolytes enhance ionic conductivity and electrochemical performance, enabling stable operation at a 1.6 V window.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Hydrogel electrolytes are crucial for flexible supercapacitor (SC) performance, influencing ionic conductivity, mechanical stability, and voltage limits.
- Existing hydrogel electrolytes often face limitations in operating voltage and electrochemical stability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel polyanionic hydrogel electrolytes by incorporating alginate into polyacrylamide hydrogels.
- To enhance the performance of flexible supercapacitors (SCs) using these new electrolytes and bamboo-derived hierarchical porous carbons (BHPCs).
Main Methods:
- Incorporation of polyanionic alginate into polyacrylamide hydrogels to create functional hydrogel electrolytes.
- Evaluation of SCs using BHPCs and activated carbons (ACs) with varying hydrogel electrolyte concentrations.
- Optimization of hydrogel electrolyte composition, specifically using calcium chloride.
Main Results:
- The optimized polyanionic hydrogel electrolyte enabled SC operation at a 1.6 V voltage window, overcoming previous limitations.
- The resulting SCs demonstrated high energy density (21.68 Wh kg⁻¹), power density (400 W kg⁻¹), and excellent stability under mechanical stress.
- Integration of renewable BHPC with the low-cost alginate hydrogel electrolyte offers a promising flexible SC technology.
Conclusions:
- Functional polyanionic hydrogel electrolytes can be developed through structural manipulation for advanced energy storage.
- The developed SCs show significant potential for next-generation flexible electronics and energy storage solutions.
- This research contributes to the advancement of sustainable and high-performance energy storage devices.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Ion Exchange
663
Ion exchange chromatography separates charged molecules from a solution by reversibly exchanging them with mobile, or 'active', ions associated with the oppositely charged stationary phase. This method can be used to separate ions, soften and deionize water, and purify solutions. The polymers comprising the ion-exchange column are high-molecular-weight and chemically stable polymers, crosslinked to be porous and essentially insoluble. They are also functionalized with either acidic or...
663
01:15Potentiometry: Membrane Electrodes
794
Membrane electrodes, also known as p-ion electrodes, use membranes that selectively interact with free analyte ions, generating a potential difference across the membrane. The resulting membrane potential, known as the asymmetry potential, is not zero even when analyte concentrations on both sides of the membrane are equal. The membrane's response is typically not selective to a single analyte but proportional to the concentration of all ions in the sample solution capable of interacting at...
794