Xuelian Liu1,Nicholas Ostrovsky-Snider1,Marco Lo Presti1,Taehoon Kim1,Jeff Roshko1,Fiorenzo Omenetto1
Tufts University1
Xuelian Liu1,Nicholas Ostrovsky-Snider1,Marco Lo Presti1,Taehoon Kim1,Jeff Roshko1,Fiorenzo Omenetto1
Tufts University1
Energy storage devices that are eco-friendly, high-performance, and flexible are needed for integration into wearables, smart sensors, and implantable medical devices. The raw materials used in such devices determine both their performance and ecological impact. Here, we describe the process of assembling supercapacitors using three distinct silk fibroin (SF)-based composite biomaterials and carbon electrode materials. Photo-crosslinkable SF (Sil-MA) hydrogel, SF-polydopamine (SF-PDA), and SF bioplastic have been used to create a gel electrolyte, electrode binder, and encapsulation respectively. Together, these elements form a mechanically and electrochemically robust skeleton for bio-friendly energy storage devices. Combined with carbon materials, symmetric supercapacitors were built with methods that minimize energy consumption and the device’s carbon footprint. The devices can achieve capacitance over 200 mF cm<sup>-2</sup> at a charge-discharge current of 10 mA cm<sup>-2</sup> with 94% capacitance retention after 20000 cycles. Moreover, the devices can be stretched, bent, twisted and compressed with minimal influence on the electrochemical performance.[1]<br/>The SF biomaterials and green fabrication methods developed can also be applied to other aqueous electrochemical energy storage systems such as zinc-ion hybrid supercapacitors. The tough SF hydrogel can provide additional benefits to zinc anode by protecting it from the formation of dendrites and corrosion by-products.[2] This strategy for the use of SF biomaterials may open a route for the development of eco-friendly energy storage devices that can be integrated into future wearable and biomedical systems.<br/><br/>[1] Xuelian Liu, Nicholas Ostrovsky-Snider, Marco Lo Presti, Taehoon Kim, and Fiorenzo G. Omenetto, Silk biomaterials enable green fabrication of flexible supercapacitors, In preparation.<br/>[2] Xuelian Liu, Nicholas Ostrovsky-Snider, Taehoon Kim, Marco Lo Presti, Jeffery Roshko, and Fiorenzo G. Omenetto, Silk hydrogel electrolyte for dendrite free Zn anode, In preparation.