High-performance flexible all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitors based on binder-free MXene/cellulose nanofiber anode and carbon cloth/polyaniline cathode

The search for wearable electronics has been attracted great efforts, and there is an ever-growing demand for all-solid-state flexible energy storage devices. However, it is a challenge to obtain both positive and negative electrodes with excellent mechanical strength and match positive and negative charges to achieve high energy densities and operate voltages to satisfy practical application requirements. Here, flexible MXene (Ti3C2Tx)/cellulose nanofiber (CNF) composite film negative electrodes (MCNF) were fabricated with a vacuum filtration method, as well as positive electrodes (CP) by combining polyaniline (PANI) with carbon cloth (CC) using an in-situ polymerization method. Both positive and negative free-standing electrodes exhibited excellent electrochemical behavior and bendable/foldable flexibility. As a result, the all-pseudocapacitance asymmetric device of MCNF//CP assembled with charge-matched between anode and cathode achieves an extended voltage window of 1.5 V, high energy density of 30.6 Wh center dot kg(-1) (1211 W center dot kg(-1)), and 86% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles, and the device maintains excellent bendability, simultaneously. This work will pave the way for the development of all-pseudocapacitive asymmetric supercapacitors (ASC) with simultaneously preeminent mechanical properties, high energy density, and wide operating voltage window.

Automated summary

The search for wearable electronics has led to an increasing demand for all-solid-state flexible energy storage devices. This study successfully fabricated flexible MXene (Ti3C2Tx)/cellulose nanofiber (CNF) composite film negative electrodes (MCNF) and positive electrodes (CP) combining polyaniline (PANI) with carbon cloth (CC). Both positive and negative electrodes showed excellent electrochemical behavior and bendable/foldable flexibility. The assembled MCNF//CP all-pseudocapacitance asymmetric device achieved an extended voltage window of 1.5 V, high energy density of 30.6 Wh center dot kg(-1) (1211 W center dot kg(-1)), 86% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles, and maintained excellent bendability.