CuNPs/RGO/cotton fabric electrode for flexible high-performance supercapacitors

A fabric electrode with a 3D structure consisting of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs), reduced graphene oxide (RGO), and cotton was fabricated by a simple, efficient, environmentally friendly, and low-cost method. With cotton fabric as the textile base, RGO provides double electric layer capacitors, which also can help connect the cotton fibers in series, making the cotton fabric a high-speed conductive channel. Additionally, the CuNPs provide pseudocapacitance and storage space for ions. This three-dimensional synergistic effect in the fabric electrode led to a specific capacitance of 197.4 F g(-1) and a good charge-discharge performance. The assembled all-solid symmetric supercapacitor showed a specific capacitance of 179.4 F g(-1), with a maximum energy density of 8.52 Wh kg(-1) and power density of 100.05 W kg(-1). The cheap and readily available raw materials make this fabric-based electrode easy to manufacture on a large scale, making it a promising candidate for wearable devices.