Stretchable, self-healable, and reprocessable chemical cross-linked ionogels electrolytes based on gelatin for flexible supercapacitors

Abstract

A novel chemical cross-linked ionogels with excellent self-healability, stretchability, and reprocessability based on gelatin have been synthesized via the Schiff base reaction in ionic liquid of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EMIMAc). Rheological measurements revealed that the plateaus modulus in storage modulus increases with increase in the content of gelatin. These ionogels displayed good thermal mechanical stability, and the chemical networks were not destroyed even at temperature up to 140°C. High stretchability was obtained and the elongation at break for the as-prepared ionogel could even reach 368.6%. Importantly, the prepared ionogels showed excellent self-healability and reprocessability. Remarkably, the ionogels exhibited superior ionic conductivity and room temperature ionic conductivity was higher than 1.0 9 10-3 S/cm. Furthermore, supercapacitors with this ionogel electrolyte showed temperaturedependent specific capacitance and remarkable flexible performance. Therefore, the as-prepared self-healable and reprocessable ionogels from the nature of gelatin, with highly ionic conductivity and stretchability, could be considered an excellent electrolyte candidate for various next-generation stretchable electronics.

Ionic Liquid Electrolytes for Electrochemical Energy Storage Devices

“…The IL-embedded polymer electrolyte can be referred to as an ion gel. Ion gel electrolytes have both a polymer electrolyte and IL [ 144 , 145 , 146 ]. The IL ratio of ion gels affects ionic conductivity.…”

Performance-tuning of PVA-based gel electrolytes by acid/PVA ratio and PVA molecular weight

“…Mobility is inversely related to gel electrolytes' viscosity, which depends on the molecular weight of the polymer. Gel electrolytes have lower ionic conductivity than liquid electrolytes, but they do not require high safety encapsulation materials and have flexibility, which is necessary for wearable electronic devices [1,3,10,11,14]. Recently, Mishra et al [15] studied the effect of Al2O3 on ionic conductivity of PVDF-HFP/PMMA blend nanocomposite gel electrolyte.…”

Conductive Hydrogel‐Based Electrodes and Electrolytes for Stretchable and Self‐Healable Supercapacitors

“…Therefore, SCs with high energy density, long cyclic life, excellent safety without leakage, low pollution, superior flexibility, and high self‐healing ability are important targets for the development of efficient energy storage devices, which largely hinges upon the development of improved electrolytes besides electrodes. As a novel class of electrolyte materials, polymer hydrogel electrolytes are generally constructed by dispersing liquid electrolytes in the polymer network, such as PEO, [ 209 ] PVA, [ 110,210–212 ] PAA, [ 213–215 ] PAM, [ 216–220 ] and some biological polymer hydrogels, [ 221 ] in which the electrolyte ions act as conductive fillers and the polymer networks as scaffolds. Polymer hydrogel electrolytes can be viewed as an intermediate state between the liquid and the solid.…”