Graphene/tungsten disulfide core-sheath fibers: High-performance electrodes for flexible all-solid-state fiber-shaped supercapacitors

Fiber-shaped supercapacitors are an essential component for making wearable electronics and smart textiles. Despite the significant progress in this area, it is still a challenge to develop large capacitance, high energy density fiber-shaped supercapacitors for energy storage applications. Herein, we report a unique core-sheath fiber comprising graphene core and radially-aligned tungsten disulfide sheath via a one-step hydrothermal method. Two such fibers were used as electrodes for making an all solid fiber-shaped supercapacitor. This device has an areal capacitance as large as 270.36 mF cm(-2) and volumetric capacitance as high as 54.07 F cm(-3) (energy density 16.86 mu Wh cm(-2)). The graphene core ensures the fiber to have high conductivity, while the sheath nanosheet array creates numerous active sites and enables fast ion diffusion. The electrode material with a high capacitance, long-term stability, and excellent flexibility may form a novel candidate for the development of high-performance energy storage fibers. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Fiber-shaped supercapacitors are essential for wearable electronics and smart textiles, but developing high capacitance, high energy density versions remains challenging. This study introduces a core-sheath fiber structure with graphene core and tungsten disulfide sheath, showing high capacitance and energy density for energy storage applications. The unique electrode material offers high conductivity, long-term stability, and flexibility, making it a promising candidate for high-performance energy storage fibers.