Flexible supercapacitor electrodes using metal–organic frameworks

Abstract

Advancements in the field of flexible and wearable devices require flexible energy storage devices to cater their power demands. Metal-ion batteries (such as lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, etc.) and electrochemical capacitors (also called supercapacitors or ultracapacitors) have achieved great interest in the recent past due to their superior energy storage characteristics like high power density and long cycle life. A major bottleneck of using metal-ion batteries in wearable devices is their lack of flexibility. Low power density, toxicity and flammability due to organic electrolytes inhibit them from safe on-body device applications. On the other hand, supercapacitors can be made with aqueous electrolytes, making them a safer alternative for wearable applications. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are novel candidates as electrode materials due to their salient features such as large surface area, three-dimensional porous architecture, permeability to foreign entities, structural tailorability, etc. Though pristine MOFs suffer from poor intrinsic conductivity, this can be rectified by preparing composites with other electronically conducting materials. MOF-based electrodes are highly promising for flexible and wearable supercapacitors since they exhibit good energy and power densities. This review focuses on the new developments in the field of MOF-based composite electrodes for developing flexible supercapacitors.