Natural Biomass Hydrogel Based on Cotton Fibers/PVA for Acid Supercapacitors

A gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) is prepared for enhancing electrochemical performances of supercapacitors (SCs), using a cotton and PVA composite membrane as the polymer matrix and 1 M H2SO4 solution as the electrolyte. The synthesized cotton/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-based membrane with a weight ratio of 8:5 (C-5) shows a high tensile strength of 3.55 MPa and an electrolyte uptake of 901.45 wt %, and the SC based on the corresponding membrane (G(5)) delivers the best specific capacitance: it attains 106 F g(-1) at 1.0 A g(-1) and maintains 106% of the initial capacitance after 10 000 cycles. In addition, three planar SCs in series assembled with G(5) exhibit superb electrochemical performances and flexibility as G(5) can be bent to 180 degrees without damage, maintaining superior electrochemical performance. Therefore, G(5) is a possible candidate for flexible SCs with outstanding performance.

Automated summary

A gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) was prepared using a cotton/PVA composite membrane to enhance the electrochemical performances of supercapacitors (SCs). The SC based on the corresponding membrane exhibited superior specific capacitance and flexibility, showing potential for flexible SCs with outstanding performance.