1.

Background
A. Motivation
i. Next-gen, wearable electronics
ii. Requirements of energy storage devices, suitability of SSC’s
iii. Integration of energy storing/harvesting
B. Supercapacitors – ragone
i. EDLC
a. Mechanism, materials
b. Capacitance
c. Disadvantages (energy density)
ii. Pseudocapacitors
a. Redox mechanism, materials
b. Charge storing characteristics
c. Disadvantages (cycling stability)
iii. Comparison (Snook)
C. oCVD PEDOT
i. Vapor phase chemistry, chamber operation/figure
ii. Properties of films
a. Stability, conformality, robustness, electronic and ionic conductor
iii. Uniquely suited for wearables
a. Conformally coat onto hierarchically structures materials – woven fabrics, threads
b. Wearable, breathable, pliable devices
c.
2. Objectives/approach – Flexible, wearable supercapacitors using electroactive PEDOT
A. Design of sew-able micro-supercapacitors – interdigitated architecture
i. Conformal coating of stainless steel thread current collectors
ii. Simple sew-able series and parallel configurations, interfacing with energy harvesting
iii. Alternatively, vapor-printing directly onto current-collecting fabrics (carbon cloth) and
making planar devices
iv. Electrode performance
a. Robust, moderately high specific capacitance material
b. Data of pristine PEDOT
(a) Quick background of electrochemical characterization
B. PEDOT/activated carbon hybrid electrodes to control morphology of films
i. Inherent mesoporosity of PEDOT resulting from oxidant residues embedded in film
a. Additional surface area contributes to EDLC behavior and redox rate capabilities (Lau
2017 paper)
b. Tuning monomer/oxidant ratio during deposition
ii. Conformally coat PEDOT onto porous activated carbon
a. Achieve micron scale features by dip-coating substrates in an activated carbon slurry
prior to PEDOT deposition
b. Increase electrode-electrolyte interfacial area to improve rate kinetics
c. Data demonstrating improves performance with
d. PEDOT as an active binder for porous carbon electrodes?
 C. Electrolytes for solid-state devices
a. Aq. H2SO4 solutions used thus far for electrode characterization
ii. Simple, common solid-state electrolyte: PVA/H2SO4
a. Acidic – damages fabric
b. Long chain PVA molecules do not form excellent contact with mesoporous PEDOT
surface
iii. Ionic liquid gels
a. Ionic liquids are pH-neutral and have a large voltage window (~1.5 V)
b. In-situ gel electrolyte forms best interface with electrode surface
c. Vapor-deposited poly(ionic liquids) are being developed
(a) Should achieve excellent electrode contact as above
(b) Minimum amount of electrolyte needed can be deposited to improve overall device
performance
D. Alternative materials
i. PEDOT comparison to carbon materials, transition metal oxides, and other conductive
polymers
a. PANI – high energy density
(a) Requires protic environment to show redox
ii. PEDOT/PSS
a. Built-in ion transport channels – address ionic conductivity limitations though likely will
sacrifice electronic conductivity
3. Preliminary Data
A. Pristine PEDOT
i. Thickness, monomer/oxidant ratio
ii. SEM’s
iii. Cycle stability
B. PEDOT/Carbon hybrid
i. Carbon loadings
ii. SEM’s
iii. Cycle stability

1. Miscellaneous bullets
A. Performance characterization
i. Characterization by: device, electrodes (active materials and current collector pair), and
active material
ii. For wearable energy storage, areal capacitance is the most relevant unit of measure due to
the finite area on a person’s body (cite AC carbon cloth)
a. High volumetric or gravimetric capacitance is limited by loading in electrode
B. Rate limiting factors in charging cycles of pseudocapacitors
i. Fast redox reactions depend on high electronic and ionic conductivity in film
a. Incorporating ion channels in PEDOT
(a) PEDOT:PSS
 b. EIS to measure both properties
ii. Interfacial resistances

Introduction

Timeline

Deliverables

Obstacles/challenges

Conclusion

Committee members

Lauren Woodruff – genetic engineering, modeling (of what exactly?)

Modeling (?)

Sarah Perry – Microfluidics to study time-resolved enzyme dynamics. Self-assembling polyelectrolytes

and interaction with intracellular environment. Framework to design organelle-like structures

Self-assembling polyelectrolytes – PEDOT/PSS networks, inducing polyelectrolyte/ionic

conductor network formation in PEDOT

Shelly Peyton – Biomaterials. How 2D and 3D environment can affect and direct phenotype and
migration. Scaffolding, hydrogels

Scaffolding/hydrogels (?)

Curt Conner – Catalysis engineering. Porous networks, especially zeolites, that direct chemical
reactions. Morphology dynamics responding to surface adsorption/reaction

Slides detailing electric double layer