Polyaniline, graphene/polyaniline and N-doped graphene/polyaniline hydrogels are directly synthesized through a hydrothermal process, promising for applications in high-performance flexible supercapacitors.
Employing renewable, earth-abundant, environmentally friendly, low-cost natural materials to design flexible supercapacitors (FSCs) as energy storage devices in wearable/portable electronics represents the global perspective to build sustainable and green society. Chemically stable and flexible cellulose and electroactive lignin have been employed to construct a biomass-based FSC for the first time. The FSC was assembled using lignosulfonate/single-walled carbon nanotube (Lig/SWCNT) pressure-sensitive hydrogels as electrodes and cellulose hydrogels as an electrolyte separator. The assembled biomass-based FSC shows high specific capacitance (292 F g at a current density of 0.5 A g), excellent rate capability, and an outstanding energy density of 17.1 W h kg at a power density of 324 W kg. Remarkably, the FSC presents outstanding electrochemical stability even suffering 1000 bending cycles. Such excellent flexibility, stability, and electrochemical performance enable the designed biomass-based FSCs as prominent candidates in applications of wearable electronic devices.
Myotube formation is crucial to restoring muscular functions, and biomaterials that enhance the myoblast differentiation into myotubes are highly desirable for muscular repair. Here, we report the synthesis of electroactive, ductile, and degradable copolymers and their application in enhancing the differentiation of myoblasts to myotubes. A hyperbranched ductile polylactide (HPLA) was synthesized and then copolymerized with aniline tetramer (AT) to produce a series of electroactive, ductile and degradable copolymers (HPLAAT). The HPLA and HPLAAT showed excellent ductility with strain to failure from 158.9% to 42.7% and modulus from 265.2 to 758.2 MPa. The high electroactivity of the HPLAAT was confirmed by UV spectrometer and cyclic voltammogram measurements. These HPLAAT polymers also showed improved thermal stability and controlled biodegradation rate compared to HPLA. Importantly, when applying these polymers for myotube formation, the HPLAAT significantly improved the proliferation of C2C12 myoblasts in vitro compared to HPLA. Furthermore, these polymers greatly promoted myogenic differentiation of C2C12 cells as measured by quantitative analysis of myotube number, length, diameter, maturation index, and gene expression of MyoD and TNNT. Together, our study shows that these electroactive, ductile and degradable HPLAAT copolymers represent significantly improved biomaterials for muscle tissue engineering compared to HPLA.
Fully utilizing the space of CC allows achieving an electrode with high mass loading and low interfacial resistance for high-performance supercapacitors.
Summary: Three‐dimensional polyaniline (PANI) nanowire networks were synthesized in high yield using a “soft template” self‐assembled with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide and oxalic acid. The PANI nanowire networks had diameters from 35–100 nm depending on synthesis conditions and/or procedures. The networks and the “cross‐linking points” were clearly observed by field‐emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. A possible mechanism for the formation of three‐dimensional PANI nanowire networks is discussed.
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