Highly Efficient Supercapacitor Using Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Electrodes and Ionic Liquid Incorporated Solid Gel Electrolyte

Abstract

Gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) comprising a low viscosity ionic liquid, that is, 1-propyl-3-methyl imidazolium bis(trifluoromethyl sulfonyl)imide (PMI-TFSI, viscosity 38 cP at 20°C) and a polymer, that is, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) have been prepared using solution cast technique and characterized by impedance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, optical microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Blending PMI-TFSI with PVA matrix hindered the crystallinity of polymer matrix and presented remarkable enhancement in electrical conductivity with a conductivity maxima at 250 wt% PMI-TFSI. The prepared electric double-layer capacitor using single-walled carbon nanotube as symmetric electrodes and PVA:250 wt% PMI-TFSI as GPE presented a capacitance value of about 28 F g−