Rational design of electrochemical energy storage and thermal energy storage double network aerogel for in-situ temperature regulation of supercapacitors

Abstract

During the charging/discharging process, a large amount of heat is constantly generated inside the supercapacitor. Therefore, thermal management of supercapacitors is crucial. In this work, a calcium alginate/polyaniline/polyethylene glycol (CA/PANI/PEG) double network multifunctional aerogels were prepared for thermal energy storage and electrochemical energy storage Due to the strong hydrogen bonding between PANI and CA and ionic cross-linking between CA molecular chains, the CA/PANI double network structure can be used to solidify PEG. CA/PANI/PEG aerogels can form stable porous network structures with excellent properties. For example, due to the in-situ thermal management of CA/PANI/PEG, CA/PANI/PEG exhibits a higher specific capacitance than the traditional PANI-based electrode at 55 °C. More importantly, the CA/PANI/PEG aerogel not only possessed a high enthalpy of phase transition (162.1 J/g) but also showed superior capacitive performance (175 mF/cm2 at 0.1 mA/cm2 at 55 °C). After 10,000 charge/discharge cycle tests, it can maintain 84.5 % of the initial capacitance. This study opens up a new way for the development and application of PCMs in the thermal management of supercapacitors.