Scalable MXene-based Textile Supercapacitors

Authors

Abaigeal Aydt, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Dr. Mona Bavarian

Date of this Version

Spring 3-28-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Citation

Aydt, A. 2025. Scalable MXene-based Textile Supercapacitors. Undergraduate Honors Thesis. University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Comments

Copyright Abaigeal Aydt 2025.

Abstract

The demand for flexible and wearable energy storage devices for portable applications has led to the exploration of textile-based supercapacitors (TSCs). TSCs will allow for the creation of a new class of energy harvesting and storing technology directly into our clothing and will require using non-toxic and/or biocompatible materials. This will result in a greener and more sustainable path to address the challenges at the nexus of energy, mobility, and sustainability. To fabricate a TSC, a yarn made of fibers, such as wool or cotton, is coated with MXene flakes; MXenes are composed of transition metal carbides, nitrides, or carbonitrides and have the base chemical formula M_n+1X_nT_x, where M is a transition metal, X is carbon or nitrogen, and T are the surface terminations determined by the method of MXene synthesis. In coating the yarn, the goal is to coat the individual fibers with MXene flasks. This will allow for better electrochemical properties that are analyzed with a Gamry Potentiostat using Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), and Galvanostatic Charge Discharge (GCD). Using these coated fibers, the conductive yarn is then knitted into TSCs using the programmable Kniterate knitting machine. In this report, casein fibers are used and compared to wool and cotton. The TSCs are evaluated using tensile testing methods and additional CV, EIS, and GCD tests using the Gamry Potentiostat. Once this was completed, the results for the Kniterate TSC and hand-knitted TSC were compared to find that the Kniterate TSC was more uniformed and took only 18 minutes to fabricate. The use of casein yarn allowed for lower capacitance retention, greater areal capacitance, and greater energy density in comparison to wool and cotton.