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Robust and High-Performance Electrodes Via Crumpled Au-CNT Forests for Stretchable Supercapacitors

37 Pages Posted: 15 Jan 2020 Publication Status: Published

See all articles by Yihao Zhou

Yihao Zhou

Duke University - Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

Changyong Cao

Michigan State University - Laboratory for Soft Machines & Electronics

Yunteng Cao

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Qiwei Han

Duke University - Department of Chemistry

Charles Parker

Duke University - Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Jeffrey T. Glass

Duke University - Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

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Abstract

Stretchable supercapacitors based on vertically aligned nanotubes or nanowires have attracted considerable attention because of their improved robustness and electrochemical performance under large and repeated deformations. However, it is still challenging to maintain the low electric resistance of stretchable electrodes of such a stretchable supercapacitor under extremely large strains due to the variation of the contacts between individual nanotubes/wires. Here, we develop and demonstrate a robust and high-performance stretchable electrode based on crumpled Au coated CNT forest (Au-CNT-forest), which significantly increases the conductivity of the original CNT-forest electrode while maintaining its unique crumpled hierarchical structures. Experimental measurements show that the resistance of the Au-CNT- forest electrode is around one order magnitude lower than that of a pure CNT-forest electrode and is comparable to that of a conventional thin film electrode. The biaxially crumpled Au-CNT-forest electrode demonstrates nearly identical electrochemical performance at all the measured charge/discharge rates (i.e., from 0.5 to 80 mA cm-2) under different strain conditions (i.e., from 0% to 800%), which can not be achieved by a pure CNT-forest electrode. The as-prepared symmetric supercapacitor with crumpled Au-CNT forest electrodes demonstrates a maximum specific capacitance of ~ 6 mF cm-2 at the scan rate of 40 mA cm-2 under different strains, exhibiting superior mechanical and electrochemical stability. This research demonstrates a facile process to fabricate highly stretchable supercapacitors based on vertically aligned nanotubes or nanowires for achieving exceptional and robust electrochemical performance.

Keywords: stretchable supercapacitors, carbon nanotube forest (CNT-forest), crumpled Au-CNT forests, energy storage devices, all-solid-state supercapacitors

Suggested Citation

Zhou, Yihao and Cao, Changyong and Cao, Yunteng and Han, Qiwei and Parker, Charles and Glass, Jeffrey T., Robust and High-Performance Electrodes Via Crumpled Au-CNT Forests for Stretchable Supercapacitors. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3518537 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3518537
This version of the paper has not been formally peer reviewed.

Yihao Zhou

Duke University - Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

Durham, NC 27708
United States

Changyong Cao (Contact Author)

Michigan State University - Laboratory for Soft Machines & Electronics ( email )

United States

Yunteng Cao

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

77 Massachusetts Avenue
Room 1-290
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
United States

Qiwei Han

Duke University - Department of Chemistry

100 Fuqua Drive
Durham, NC 27708-0204
United States

Charles Parker

Duke University - Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Durham, NC
United States

Jeffrey T. Glass

Duke University - Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

Durham, NC 27708
United States

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