Volume 19, Issue 25 2207997
Research Article

Scalable Manufacturing of Environmentally Stable All-Solid-State Plant Protein-Based Supercapacitors with Optimal Balance of Capacitive Performance and Mechanically Robust

Shuaicheng Jiang

Shuaicheng Jiang

College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, No. 159 Longpan Road, Nanjing, 210037 China

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Yanqiang Wei

Yanqiang Wei

College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, No. 159 Longpan Road, Nanjing, 210037 China

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Xiaona Li

Xiaona Li

College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, No. 159 Longpan Road, Nanjing, 210037 China

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Sheldon Q. Shi

Sheldon Q. Shi

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 76203 USA

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Dan Tian

Corresponding Author

Dan Tian

College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, No. 159 Longpan Road, Nanjing, 210037 China

E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

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Zhen Fang

Corresponding Author

Zhen Fang

Shandong Laboratory of Yantai Advanced Material and Green Manufacture, No. 300 Changjiang Road, Yantai, 264006 China

E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

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Jianzhang Li

Corresponding Author

Jianzhang Li

MOE Key Laboratory of Wood Material Science and Application, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35 Tsinghua East Road, Beijing, 100083 China

E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

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First published: 18 March 2023
Citations: 5

Abstract

The development of advanced biomaterial with mechanically robust and high energy density is critical for flexible electronics, such as batteries and supercapacitors. Plant proteins are ideal candidates for making flexible electronics due to their renewable and eco-friendly natures. However, due to the weak intermolecular interactions and abundant hydrophilic groups of protein chains, the mechanical properties of protein-based materials, especially in bulk materials, are largely constrained, which hinders their performance in practical applications. Here, a green and scalable method is shown for the fabrication of advanced film biomaterials with high mechanical strength (36.3 MPa), toughness (21.25 MJ m−3), and extraordinary fatigue-resistance (213 000 times) by incorporating tailor-made core–double-shell structured nanoparticles. Subsequently, the film biomaterials combine to construct an ordered, dense bulk material by stacking-up and hot-pressing techniques. Surprisingly, the solid-state supercapacitor based on compacted bulk material shows an ultrahigh energy density of 25.8 Wh kg−1, which is much higher than those previously reported advanced materials. Notably, the bulk material also demonstrates long-term cycling stability, which can be maintained under ambient condition or immersed in H2SO4 electrolyte for more than 120 days. Thus, this research improves the competitiveness of protein-based materials for real-world applications such as flexible electronics and solid-state supercapacitors.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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