Open AccessDielectric-Barrier-Discharge Jet Treated Flexible Supercapacitors with Carbon Cloth Current Collectors of Long-Lasting Hydrophilicity
Author(s) -
Chia-Hui Tseng,
Jui-Chen Hsin,
Jia-Huei Tsai,
Jian-Zhang Chen
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of the electrochemical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.258
H-Index - 271
eISSN - 1945-7111
pISSN - 0013-4651
DOI - 10.1149/1945-7111/aba4e5
Subject(s) - materials science , supercapacitor , graphene , electrolyte , x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , polyaniline , nanocomposite , carbon fibers , capacitance , dielectric barrier discharge , chemical engineering , composite material , contact angle , dielectric , nanotechnology , chemistry , electrode , polymer , composite number , polymerization , optoelectronics , engineering
A low-temperature (<30 °C) He dielectric-barrier-discharge jet (DBDjet) is applied to treat screen-printed reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/polyaniline (PANI)/chitosan (CS) nanocomposite flexible gel-electrolyte supercapacitors (SCs) with atmospheric-pressure plasma jet (APPJ)-processed carbon cloth current collectors. The APPJ-treated carbon cloth retained it hydrophilicity for more than 23 weeks. By contrast, carbon cloth furnace-treated at similar temperatures for 30 s and 30 min retained its hydrophilicity for only 6 h and 4 weeks, respectively. Therefore, APPJ treatment benefits the long-term stability of SCs with carbon cloth current collectors. Without substantial heating, the reactive plasma species of the He DBDjet can improve the hydrophilicity of screen-printed rGO/PANI/CS nanocomposites, thereby increasing the SC’s capacitance value. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results reveal increased –COOH and C–N contents after He DBDjet treatment, thus explaining the improved hydrophilicity. Galvanostatic charging-discharging measurements demonstrate that the capacitance is improved by 181% after two He DBDjet scans. The capacitance value decreases by only 0.2% after a 10000-cycle CV stability test. No apparent degradation is observed after a 1000-cycle mechanical bending test.