Just a few millimetres in diameter, the new ink-based supercapacitor outdoes the performance of other carbon fibre-based devices, and can hold up to 10 times more charge.
Researchers from Peking University in Beijing, China, built the device by coating two long thin carbon fibers with the ink, then wrapping them in a flexible plastic casing, filled with electrolyte.
Advanced Materials – Fiber Supercapacitors Utilizing Pen Ink for Flexible/Wearable Energy Storage
ABSTRACT – A novel type of flexible fiber/wearable supercapacitor that is composed of two fiber electrodes, a helical spacer wire, and an electrolyte is demonstrated. In the carbon-based fiber supercapacitor (FSC), which has high capacitance performance, commercial pen ink is directly utilized as the electrochemical material. FSCs have potential benefits in the pursuit of low-cost, large-scale, and efficient flexible/wearable energy storage systems.
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