Printable multi-walled carbon nanotubes thin film for high performance all solid state flexible supercapacitors

•Inkjet printable aromatic azide functionalized MWCNT.•f-MWCNT films printed on PET demonstrate low sheet resistivity of ∼65 Ω cm.•Fabricated supercapacitor exhibits high flexibility and excellent cycling stability.•Demonstrates no significant change in charge storage under harsh conditions.

All-solid-state flexible supercapacitor is assembled using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [EMIM][BF4] based gel polymer electrolyte. Flexible electrodes on polyethylene-terephthalate (PET) substrate were made by inkjet printed azide functionalized MWCNT (f-MWCNT), serving both as electrodes and charge collector. Fabricated supercapacitor f-MWCNT/gel polymer electrolyte/f-MWCNT (f-MWCNT SC) demonstrated high power and energy performance as a gel polymer electrolyte based all solid-state flexible supercapacitor. f-MWCNT SC demonstrates high specific capacitance 235 F/g at 5 mV/s in wide operating potential range of 3 V. Short relaxation time constant (τo) (248 ms) with high apparent diffusion coefficient (Da) 2.25 × 10−8 cm2/s resulted in very high energy density 16.2 Wh/kg and power density 45 kW/kg at 1 A/g. f-MWCNT SC exhibits high flexibility and excellent cycling stability with capacity retention >90% after 5000 galvanostatic charge discharge cycles.

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