Fiber-type solid-state supercapacitors can provide a steady power source for next-generation wearable and flexible electronics. Typically, they combine high-charge storage with good mechanical qualities in a single fiber.
According to a new paper, scientists have created a "jeweled necklace"-like hybrid composite fiber. It is made of double-walled carbon nanotube yarn and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Because of its simplicity of handling and transformation, fiber-type solid-state supercapacitors are critical for realizing next-generation energy storage and could likely help boost Automotive Supercapacitor Market.
To maximize energy storage capacity while maintaining mechanical qualities, the scientists heat-treated the MOFs and turned them into MOF-derived carbon. The resulting super-strong fiber delivered enough power to activate light-emitting diodes while supporting a weight of 10 kg. This is mainly because of hybrid fibers with tunable characteristics and mechanical robustness that worked under various mechanical deformation circumstances.
The team produced an 'all-in-one' fiber with charge storage sites based on a heterogeneous hybrid composite of carbon nanotube yarn and metal-organic frameworks. These worked well together due to their high specific surface area, great mechanical qualities, and excellent electrical conductivity.
Researchers added functional groups onto the surface of DWNTY and altered the ligands used in MOF production. This allowed them to create extra intermolecular contacts, resulting in stronger interfacial connections.
X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared spectra were used to insert carboxylic groups onto the surface of nanotube yarn. This was done via diazotization with p-aminobenzoic acid while keeping the construct's original characteristics (which they labeled as mDWNTY). Researchers demonstrated the functionalization of the yarn surface without affecting its graphitic structure using X-ray diffraction patterns.
Subsequently, the organic ligand was substituted with an amine-containing ligand (IRMOF-3). This was done to further interact with the carboxylic groups added to the double-walled carbon nanotube yarn surface. To showcase the effectiveness of interfacial modification, the team estimated the influence of interface alteration on interfacial strength between the materials (yarn and metal-organic frameworks).
The product's excellent flexibility was evaluated by its 88 percent capacitance retention after 500 cycles, even after repeated bending. The energy storage performance of the supercapacitor was unaffected by bending angles denoting the supercapacitor has mechanical reliability for fiber processing technologies.
At last, the team showed a new class of jeweled-necklace-like hybrid composite fibers built of DWNTY covered with MOF beads as a fiber-type all-solid-state supercapacitor. The research discovered a simple method for imparting mechanical resilience to hybrid composite fibers for energy storage dependability. This will allow the creation of high-performance fiber-type supercapacitors.