Flexible, high performance Two-Ply Yarn Supercapacitors based on irradiated Carbon Nanotube Yarn and PEDOT/PSS

• Two-ply supercapacitors based on CNT yarn were prepared by a simple method.
• The two-ply supercapacitors are high-performance, flexible and thread-like.
• Gamma irradiation of CNT yarn improves the capacitance of the resulting supercapacitor.
• PEDOT/PSS coated on the yarn surface further improve the capacitance of supercapacitors.
• The two-ply supercapacitors can be easily woven or knitted into conventional textile fabrics.

We present a simple design and a fabrication method for a high-performance, flexible, two-ply yarn supercapacitor based on irradiated CNT yarn and conductive polymer Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT/PSS). The CNT yarn is treated with gamma irradiation and the yarn surface is coated with the PEDOT/PSS to improve the energy storage capacitance of the as-spun yarn supercapacitor. A layer of PVA gel is coated on the surfaces of the CNT yarn and the composite yarn to form a separation layer containing electrolyte. The results show that the gamma irradiation greatly increases the electrical conductivity and improved the gram capacitance of the as-spun CNT two-ply yarn supercapacitor. The coating of PEDOT/PSS on the surface of the pure and irradiated CNT yarns further significantly improves the capacitance of the supercapacitors. The two-ply yarn supercapacitor constructed from the irradiation CNT yarn coated by PEDOT/PSS exhibits the large capacitance and high cyclic charge-discharge stability. Moreover, these two-ply yarn supercapacitors with fine diameters are highly flexible and can be easily woven or knitted into textile fabrics for uses in wearable electronics.

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