Issue 9, 2023

Hydrogen bond regulating in hydrogel electrolytes for enhancing the antifreeze ability of a flexible zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitor

Abstract

Hydrogel electrolytes have attracted notable attention in the field of flexible supercapacitors, such as flexible zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitors (FZHSCs), for their outstanding flexibility, high safety and superior portability. However, the H2O molecules in conventional hydrogels unavoidably freeze at subzero temperatures, which restricts the application of hydrogel electrolytes in flexible supercapacitors in extremely cold environments. Herein, we fabricated an anti-freezing hydrogel electrolyte successfully through sol–gel transformation of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and cellulose nanofibers (CNFs), which are dissolved in a dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)–water binary solvent. The introduction of DMSO into the hydrogel substrate can effectively prevent H2O molecules from freezing at subzero temperatures, owing to the strong hydrogen bonds between DMSO and water. The hydrogel electrolyte exhibits excellent mechanical performance at −20 °C with a strain of 350%. The FZHSC based on the hydrogel electrolyte shows excellent electrochemical properties at low temperature, delivering a specific capacity of 159.79 F g−1 at −20 °C. Besides, it could also hold a high capacity of 382.02 F g−1 at normal temperature (25 °C) with a coulombic efficiency almost reaching 100%. Meanwhile, even under different bending conditions, the FZHSC could also retain great electrochemical performance. It is believed that the strategy in this work will play a potent role for creating stretchable and anti-freezing hydrogel electrolytes for FZHSCs with high capacity under extreme cold conditions.

Graphical abstract: Hydrogen bond regulating in hydrogel electrolytes for enhancing the antifreeze ability of a flexible zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitor

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
08 Yan 2023
Accepted
01 Dzi 2023
First published
03 Dzi 2023

Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2023,7, 2094-2103

Hydrogen bond regulating in hydrogel electrolytes for enhancing the antifreeze ability of a flexible zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitor

Y. Bao, L. Han, W. Peng, Z. Yang, J. Yang, Z. Ji, M. Xu and L. Pan, Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2023, 7, 2094 DOI: 10.1039/D3SE00163F

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