Novel Hydrocarbon Derived Carbon Nanomaterials for Wearable and Flexible Printed Micro-Supercapacitors

Carbon nanomaterials have emerged as a promising solution for advancing printed electronics, especially in applications such as micro-supercapacitors (MSCs). This study examines the significance and compatibility of a newly developed industrial carbon nanomaterial, derived from hydrocarbon streams via a scalable, catalyst-free process in a proprietary reactor. The resulting carbon nanomaterials exhibit a unique morphology, characterized by nanoscale building blocks forming micro-scale networks, which enhance the efficiency of printed flexible electronics. We utilized hydrocarbon-derived graphene nanoparticles (GNPs) as an electrode material for MSCs. These GNPs possess unique properties, including a networked structure, high electrical conductivity, and a large surface area, making them ideal for next-generation printed MSCs. The GNP-based printed MSCs operate efficiently without metal current collectors, indicating that the hydrocarbon-derived GNP-based printed electrodes have sufficient conductivity comparable to metal-based current collectors. The printed GNP-based MSCs demonstrated an excellent specific capacitance of 3.2 mF cm^-2, outperforming many graphene-based MSCs. Additionally, these MSCs exhibited outstanding cycling stability, retaining 97% of their capacity after 10,000 galvanostatic charge-discharge cycles, and superior capacitance retention of 91% at a bending angle of 180 degrees. These results indicate that the networked structure of hydrocarbon-derived GNPs maintains capacitance at various bending angles, confirming their high compatibility with flexible printed electronics. The integration of hydrocarbon-derived GNPs into printed electronics not only facilitates the development of lightweight, flexible, and cost-effective devices but also opens the door to innovative applications in various technological fields.