Deep eutectic solvent-infused two-dimensional metal-organic framework membranes as quasi-solid-state electrolytes for wearable micro-supercapacitors

The burgeoning field of miniaturized and portable electronic devices calls for novel advances in micro-energy storage technology. Micro-supercapacitors (MSC) stand at the forefront of this endeavour, yet unlocking their full potential necessitates the exploration of high-performance electrolytes. Herein, we introduce a strategy that leverages flexible metal-organic framework (MOF, CuTCPP) nanosheet-based membranes to construct quasi-solid-state electrolytes (QSSEs) and enhance the ionic conductivity and electrochemical performance of deep eutectic solvent (DES)-based MSCs. Owing to the multiple nanochannel pathways provided by the porous MOF nanosheets, the ionic conductivity of DES within the nanochannels exhibits a 13-fold increment compared with its bulk counterpart. Furthermore, we engineered MSC harnessing the CuTCPP-DES system, whose performance surpasses that reported for most of the ionic liquid and 2D material-based MSCs. The areal-specific capacitance was 81.3 mF cm-2 at a current density of 0.1 mA cm-2, and the energy density was 45.17 mu W h cm-2 at a power density of 8.559 mW cm-2. Notably, the performance of MSCs remains consistent and unaffected, even when subjected to bending. These findings contribute to the exploration and potential optimization of the inherent benefits of MOFs, thereby presenting a paradigm shift in nanoconfined systems for microscale energy storage applications. Deep eutectic solvent-infused 2D MOF-membrane was prepared and utilized as quasi-solid-state electrolytes for wearable micro-supercapacitors with high areal energy density and power density.

Automated summary

The burgeoning field of miniaturized and portable electronic devices requires advancements in micro-energy storage technology. This study introduces a strategy that utilizes flexible metal-organic framework (MOF) nanosheet-based membranes to enhance the performance of deep eutectic solvent (DES)-based micro-supercapacitors (MSC) through the construction of quasi-solid-state electrolytes. The MSCs engineered with this system exhibit excellent performance in terms of areal-specific capacitance, energy density, and power density, and maintain consistent performance even when subjected to bending.