Recent Progresses in the Synthesis and Strategic Designs of Sustainable Carbon-Based Fibrous Electrodes for Flexible Batteries

Abstract

Electrochemical energy storage devices such as rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors have replaced conventional batteries and dielectric capacitors due to their excellent charge storage abilities and other electrochemical performances. But the major challenge exists in terms of their flexibility in application as most of the rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors available commercially are rigid in nature hence cannot be used in wearable electronic applications. The flexibility to the devices is mainly imparted by the electrodes hence the preparation of electrodes is utmost important in determining their flexibility. During the fabrication of electrodes, the electrode-active materials are coated over an electrically conducting substratum and it is further used as a current collector for the electrode. The electrodes will be flexible if the substratum used for the preparation is flexible in nature. In this aspect, carbon fibers (CFs) evolved as suitable and sustainable substratum for the preparation of electrodes for rechargeable batteries to power flexible electronic devices. Micron-sized or nano-sized CFs are invariably used as substratum hence the flexibility can easily be imparted to the devices assembled. This review outlines the development of rechargeable batteries manufactured of different electrode-active materials coated over these CFs substrate. This article helps to get an in-depth insight about the preparation of flexible electrodes for rechargeable batteries, particularly for application in wearable electronics.