Flexible Supercapacitor with a Pure DNA Gel Electrolyte

Due to the demand for next-generation green wearable and flexible energy storage devices, gel-based electrolytes are attracting much attention as a key part of this system, but existing materials are problematic because of their low performance. It is necessary to maintain the function of the material by allowing it to be bent in the form of amorphous gels, easily manufactured in large quantities without toxic chemical binders used in everyday life. Here, a new storage device driven by a genetic DNA gel electrolyte is presented. The DNA gel is amorphous and intrinsically high-electrostatic. The separator-free device for a supercapacitor exhibits a high ionic conductivity with excellent mechanical integrity and demonstrates a maximum specific capacitance superior to liquid and other gel electrolytes. In LED lighting, the DNA gel supercapacitor (D-gel-SC) with higher flexibility delivers maximum energy and power density. It can even survive harsh environmental conditions without further degradation in performance. This material is promising for use as a core material for new energy storage devices.