Scalable self-integrated all-in-one fabric-based supercapacitors with simultaneous enhancement of output voltage and capacitance

Abstract

All-in-one supercapacitors show broader application prospect in the field of flexible electronics due to the electrochemical stability and durability. Nonetheless, how to simultaneously enhance the output voltage and capacitance of integrated devices while maintain excellent flexibility and reasonable dimension is a critical challenge for the further development and application of all-in-one supercapacitor. In this work, the self-integrated all-in-one fabric-based supercapacitors (FSCs) with excellent capacitive behavior, flexibility and scalability are designed and fabricated by simply screen-printing the multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) ink on both sides of fabric-based composite separator. The interlocked-like electrode configuration of self-integrated FSC enables electrolyte ions to be transported in transverse and perpendicular directions, and it greatly improved the areal capacitance and reduced internal resistance. Moreover, the assembled FSC exhibits excellent flexibility and stability even under dynamic bending with relatively high strain rates (20% s−1), and 86.1% capacitance is maintained after 1000 bending cycles. Most importantly, the simultaneous series and parallel integration scheme of self-integrated FSCs is realized by versatile screen-printing technique, demonstrating the great potential to simultaneously improve output voltage, overall capacity and potability in a relatively small dimension. Generally, the unique electrode configuration proposes a cost-effective strategy for mass production of flexible energy storage devices.