Large-area, all-solid and flexible electric double layer capacitors based on CNT fiber electrodes and polymer electrolytes

TL;DR

This paper introduces a scalable, flexible, all-solid electric double layer capacitor (EDLC) fabrication method using CNT fiber electrodes and polymer electrolytes, achieving high performance and mechanical robustness suitable for large-area applications.

Contribution

The work presents a novel roll-to-roll compatible fabrication process for large-area, flexible EDLCs with comparable electrochemical performance to liquid electrolytes, and demonstrates their mechanical durability.

Findings

Achieved 28 F g-1 specific capacitance and 11.4 Wh kg-1 energy density in flexible devices.

Devices could be bent and folded 180° without property degradation.

Demonstrated large-area devices up to 100 cm2 with consistent performance.

Abstract

This work presents a scalable method to produce robust all-solid electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs), compatible with roll-to-roll processes and structural laminate composite fabrication. It consists in sandwiching and pressing an ionic liquid (IL) based polymer electrolyte membrane between two CNT fiber sheet electrodes at room temperature, and laminating with ordinary plastic film. This fabrication method is demonstrated by assembling large area devices of up to 100 cm2 with electrodes fabricated in-house, as well as with commercial CNT fiber sheets. Free-standing flexible devices operating at 3.5 V exhibited 28 F g-1 of specific capacitance, 11.4 Wh kg-1 of energy density and 46 kW kg-1 of power density. These values are nearly identical to control samples with pure ionic liquid. The solid EDLC could be repeatedly bent and folded 180{\deg} without degradation of their properties, with a reversible 25% increase in energy density in the bent state. Devices produced using CNT fiber electrodes with a higher degree of orientation and therefore better mechanical properties showed similar electrochemical properties combined with composite specific strength and modulus of 39 MPa/SG and 577 MPa/SG for a fiber mass fraction of 11 wt.%, similar to a structural thermoplastic and with higher specific strength than copper.