Impact-resistant supercapacitor by hydrogel-infused lattice

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 6481 - 13
• Main Authors: Zhou, Shixiang, Zhao, Yijing, Zhang, Kaixi, Xun, Yanran, Tao, Xueyu, Yan, Wentao, Zhai, Wei, Ding, Jun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 01.08.2024; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: Capacitance; Compressive properties; Dynamic loads; Electrodes; Electrolytes; Energy absorption; Energy storage; Extreme environments; Hydrogels; Impact resistance; Mechanical loading; Mechanical properties; Modulus of elasticity; Oxycarbides; Polyanilines; Polyvinyl alcohol; Supercapacitors
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50707-0

The safety of energy storage devices is increasingly crucial due to the growing requirements for application under harsh conditions. Effective methods for enhancing robustness without compromising functionality are necessary. Here we present an impact-resistant, ready-to-use supercapacitor constructed from self-healable hydrogel electrolyte-infused lattice electrodes. Three-dimensional-printed carbon-coated silicon oxycarbide current collectors provide mechanical protection, with compressive stress, Young's modulus, and energy absorption up to 70.61 MPa, 2.75 GPa, and 92.15 kJ/m , respectively. Commercially viable polyaniline and self-healable polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel are used as active coatings and electrolytes. I-wrapped package structured supercapacitor electrode exhibits a static specific capacitance of 585.51 mF/cm at 3 mA/cm , with an energy density of 97.63 μWh/cm at a power density of 0.5 mW/cm . It maintains operational integrity under extreme conditions, including post-impact with energy of 0.3 J/cm , dynamic loading ranging from 0 to 18.83 MPa, and self-healing after electrolyte damage, demonstrating its promise for applications in extreme environments.