High mass loading paper-based electrode material with cellulose fibers under coordination of zirconium oxyhydroxide nanoparticles and sulfosalicylic acid

Abstract

With the rapid expansion of the flexible electronics market, it is critical to develop high-performance flexible energy storage electrode materials. Cellulose fibers, which are sustainable, low cost, and flexible, fully meet the requirements of flexible electrode materials, but they are electrically insulating and cause a decrease in energy density. In this study, high-performance paper-based flexible electrode materials (PANI:SSA/Zr-CFs) were prepared with cellulose fibers and polyaniline. A high mass loading of polyaniline was wrapped on zirconia hydroxide-modified cellulose fibers under metal-organic acid coordination through a facile in situ chemical polymerization process. The increase in mass loading of PANI on cellulose fibers not only improves the electrical conductivity but also enhances the area-specific capacitance of the flexible electrodes. The results of electrochemical tests show that the area specific capacitance of the PANI:SSA/Zr-CFs electrode is 4181 mF/cm2 at 1 mA/cm2, which is more than two times higher than that of the electrode with PANI on pristine CFs. This work provides a new strategy for the design and manufacture of high-performance flexible electronic electrodes based on cellulose fibers.