Carbon Nanotube Fibers Decorated with MnO<sub>2</sub> for Wire-Shaped Supercapacitor

Fibers made from CNTs (CNT fibers) have the potential to form high-strength, lightweight materials with superior electrical conductivity. CNT fibers have attracted great attention in relation to various applications, in particular as conductive electrodes in energy applications, such as capacitors,...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Luman Zhang, Xuan Zhang, Jian Wang, David Seveno, Jan Fransaer, Jean-Pierre Locquet, Jin Won Seo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-06-01
Series:Molecules
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/11/3479
Description
Summary:Fibers made from CNTs (CNT fibers) have the potential to form high-strength, lightweight materials with superior electrical conductivity. CNT fibers have attracted great attention in relation to various applications, in particular as conductive electrodes in energy applications, such as capacitors, lithium-ion batteries, and solar cells. Among these, wire-shaped supercapacitors demonstrate various advantages for use in lightweight and wearable electronics. However, making electrodes with uniform structures and desirable electrochemical performances still remains a challenge. In this study, dry-spun CNT fibers from CNT carpets were homogeneously loaded with MnO<sub>2</sub> nanoflakes through the treatment of KMnO<sub>4</sub>. These functionalized fibers were systematically characterized in terms of their morphology, surface and mechanical properties, and electrochemical performance. The resulting MnO<sub>2</sub>–CNT fiber electrode showed high specific capacitance (231.3 F/g) in a Na<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> electrolyte, 23 times higher than the specific capacitance of the bare CNT fibers. The symmetric wire-shaped supercapacitor composed of CNT–MnO<sub>2</sub> fiber electrodes and a PVA/H<sub>3</sub>PO<sub>4</sub> electrolyte possesses an energy density of 86 nWh/cm and good cycling performance. Combined with its light weight and high flexibility, this CNT-based wire-shaped supercapacitor shows promise for applications in flexible and wearable energy storage devices.
ISSN:1420-3049