Reinforcement-free monolithic all-in-one structural supercapacitors

Structural supercapacitors, potential game-changers for various applications such as aerospace, automotive, and construction industries, offer a combination of energy storage and load-bearing functionalities. Conventional approaches, however, have been hindered by a significant decrease in overall energy storage performance due to the inherent separation of energy storage components and structural reinforcement elements. In this study, we report reinforcement-free all-in-one structural supercapacitors that tailor the conventional trade-off problem between energy capacity and mechanical strength by ensuring that the essential energy storage components possess high mechanical properties. This dual-functional structure ensures that it volumetrically constitutes nearly 90% of the cells excluding the packaging. Simultaneously, by employing interlocking interfacial engineering, we optimize the functionalities of these components, enhancing the overall robustness and energy capacity of the device. Consequently, our structural supercapacitor demonstrates good structural integrity, as evidenced by its flexural modulus of 8.34 GPa. Moreover, our supercapacitor stands out in terms of energy storage capacity, boasting a volumetric energy density of 45 Wh/L. This achievement, outperforming the current state-of-the-art by a staggering tenfold, significantly enhances multifunctionality, a critical index for evaluating structural energy devices, reaching a 9.95 rating. This novel strategy provides insight for other structural energy storage devices with higher multifunctional efficiency.

This is an international collaborative work. For more details, please refer to this link.