Superelastic Hybrid CNT/Graphene Fibers for Wearable Energy Storage

The demands for wearable technologies continue to grow and novel approaches for powering these devices are being enabled by the advent of new electromaterials and novel fabrication strategies. Herein, a novel approach is reported to develop superelastic wet-spun hybrid carbon nanotube graphene fibers followed by electrodeposition of polyaniline to achieve a high-performance fiber-based supercapacitor. It is found that the specific capacitance of hybrid carbon nanotube (CNT)/graphene fiber is enhanced up to approximate to 39% using a graphene to CNT fiber ratio of 1:3. Fabrication of spring-like coiled fiber coated with an elastic polymer shows an extraordinary elasticity capable of 800% strain while affording a specific capacitance of approximate to 138 F g(-1). The elastic rubber coating enables extreme stretchability and enabling cycles with up to 500% strain for thousands of cycles with no significant change in its performance. Multiple supercapacitors can be easily assembled in series or parallel to meet specific energy and power needs.