Konjac glucomannan derived biodegradable superionic solid-state electrolyte films for devising economically viable
Sushant Wakekar1, Laxmi Pasupuleti1, Bapan Jana2
1Department of Chemistry, SRM University - AP, Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh - 522240, India. chinmoy.d@srmap.edu.in.
Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England)
|October 15, 2025
Summary
Biodegradable konjac glucomannan (KG) and sodium iodide (NaI) films were synthesized for solid-state electrolytes. The best-performing KG-NaI film offers high conductivity and stability for flexible energy storage devices.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Polymer Science
Background:
- Solid-state electrolytes are crucial for advanced energy storage devices.
- Developing biodegradable and cost-effective electrolyte materials remains a significant challenge.
- Konjac glucomannan (KG) offers a sustainable and abundant biopolymer platform.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize biodegradable solid-state electrolyte films.
- To investigate the electrochemical properties of KG-NaI composites.
- To evaluate the performance of these electrolytes in flexible supercapacitors.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of konjac glucomannan (KG) and sodium iodide (NaI) composite films (KGNaI-x, x = 31-69 wt%).
- Characterization of film flexibility, biodegradability, and ionic conductivity.
- Fabrication and electrochemical testing of supercapacitors using the optimized KGNaI-69 electrolyte.
Main Results:
- The KGNaI-69 film demonstrated excellent flexibility and biodegradability.
- Achieved a high sodium superionic conductivity of 77.9 mS cm-1.
- The supercapacitor exhibited outstanding electrochemical efficiency and retained 84.4% capacitance after 5000 cycles.
Conclusions:
- Biodegradable KG-NaI composite films are promising solid-state electrolytes.
- The KGNaI-69 electrolyte enables high-performance flexible supercapacitors.
- This work highlights the potential of biopolymer-based electrolytes for sustainable energy storage.
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