Guide for new business and research ideas

Action

Content

Title of the project

Fabrication and characterization of novel textile-based supercapacitors

Envisaged Program for funding / other sources for funding

Domain of interest

Energy Storage Materials

Abstract

(up to 500 words)

At present, batteries, rigid or flexible, are the primary power supply of wearable electronic systems. Besides requiring conventional connection, batteries must be replaced or recharged and removed during washing, which limits usability and wearable systems’ autonomy and prevents full system integration. To overcome these limitations, new reliable and affordable techniques for electricity storage are being studied and developed. For instance, among the many energy-storage devices, flexible supercapacitors (SCs) are promising candidates because of their quick charge-discharge capability, long life cycle and good safety. Fabricating scalable, lightweight and durable SCs possessing a combination of high capacitance, high power density and high energy density with cost-effective materials is still a significant challenge.

The main goal of this project will be based on the development of innovative textile-based storage systems.

First of all, it will be introduced the basics of performance evaluation for novel textile-based SCs to understand different research approaches in their design and fabrication. The investigation will be followed by considering different materials such as conducting polymers (e. g. poly(3,4- ethylene dioxythiophene)–poly(styrene sulfonate), polyaniline, etc.), pseudocapacitive metal oxides (e. g. Mn02) and carbon based nanostructures (e. g. carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, graphene, etc). Appropriate combinations of these materials will be synthetized onto different commercial textile fabrics by means of different methodologies (e. g. chemical/electro polymerization, deposition, coating, plasma assisted deposition, etc.) and properly characterized.

Finally, proof-concept ideas will be discussed with the aim of develop a new type of textile-based energy storage systems.

Keywords (up to 5)

Textile, conducting polymers, carbon nanotubes, supercapacitors

Envisaged partners sought

Contact data

(Name/Surname, Organization, email)

Antonio Paleito, University of Minho, ajpaleovieito@2c2t.uminho.pt