DMSO-treated flexible PEDOT:PSS/PANi fiber electrode for high performance supercapacitors

Wearable energy storage device nowadays gains great interest due to sharply increased demand for highly flexible, stretchable and embedded electronics, where fiber-based supercapacitor (FSC) is a competitive counterpart. The poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonic acid)/polyaniline (PEDOT:PSS/PANi) fiber has been prepared via an accessible technique of one-dimensional (1D) self-assembly. Nevertheless, PSS as the main cross-linking matrix may lead to more hopping sites for charge carriers, lessening the continuous electrically conductive path. Herein, PEDOT:PSS/PANi fiber was treated with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to remove the insulative PSS chains. Coupling high electroactivity of PANi and high conductivity of PEDOT, the optimized DMSO-PEDOT:PSS/PANi fiber displays enhanced electrochemical properties with a high specific capacitance (C-s) of 367.7 F g(-1) at 0.5 A g(-1) and good rate capability. Moreover, a symmetric FSC based on the DMSO-P4P6 fiber exhibits a high energy density of 42.4 Wh kg(-1) at a power density of 302.3 W kg(-1).

Automated summary

Researchers have developed PEDOT:PSS/PANi fibers with high specific capacitance and superior electrochemical properties through one-dimensional self-assembly technique, improving their conductivity and electroactivity by removing PSS chains with DMSO treatment. The final test results show that the symmetric supercapacitor constructed with DMSO-P4P6 fiber exhibits good performance at high energy density.