Molecular crowding electrolyte for high-voltage flexible aqueous capacitors
摘要
The limited voltage window of aqueous electrolyte arises from water electrolysis, significantly constraining energy density and restricting the application of aqueous supercapacitors in various scenarios. Herein, a molecular crowding strategy that seamlessly integrates water and a crowding agent to form strong hydrogen bonds for higher water electrolysis overpotential is introduced to address this dilemma. The molecular crowding electrolyte (MCE) using polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG-400) as crowding agent in 2 mol L−1 LiCl aqueous solution achieves an extraordinary voltage window of ∼2.8 V, which also enhances charge storage ability by promoting the desolvation process of the hydrated Li+ ions. In addition, interactions between hydroxyl groups of PEG molecules and surface terminations of Ti3C2 effectively protect Ti3C2 sheets from oxidation under positive potential. Consequently, a symmetric Ti3C2-based 2-electrode device demonstrates a wide voltage window of 1.5 V, with a high specific capacitance of 48.3 F g−1. Furthermore, the high-viscosity MCEs could also be used to fabricate in-plane micro-supercapacitors printed on polyester fabric substrates, showing a superior specific capacitance of 18.3 mF cm−2, good rate capability, and high stability under deformation. This work represents a stride toward electrochemically stable aqueous supercapacitors and offers insights into textile-based energy devices for wearable applications.