Enhanced Energy Density in All-in-One Device Integrating Si Solar Cell and Supercapacitor Using [BMIm]Cl/PVA Gel Electrolyte

Abstract

All-in-one systems integrating solar cells and supercapacitors have recently received significant attention because of their high efficiency and portability. Unlike conventional solar photovoltaics, which require external wiring to connect to a battery for energy storage, integrated devices with solar cells and supercapacitors share one electrode, eliminating wiring resistance and facilitating charge transfer. In this work, we designed and fabricated all-in-one devices by combining a silicon solar cell and a supercapacitor with polymer gel electrolytes. Our all-in-one devices incorporating H 3 PO 4 /PVA and [BMIm]Cl/PVA exhibited areal capacitances of 452.5 and 550 mF•cm −2 at 0.1 mA•cm −2 , respectively, following 100 s of photocharging. Notably, the [BMIm]Cl/PVA-based all-in-one device demonstrated significantly higher maximum energy density and power density compared to both the H 3 PO 4 /PVA-based all-in-one device and the values reported in literature. In addition, the cyclic photocharge/ galvanostatic discharge process for the [BMIm]Cl/PVA-based all-in-one device represented consistent retention of areal capacitance, affirming its stability across charge−discharge cycles. After 100 s of photocharging, the [BMIm]Cl/PVA-based all-in-one device achieved a total energy efficiency of 1.85%, surpassing the 1.45% efficiency observed in the device using H 3 PO 4 /PVA. These results provide valuable insights for the design of self-charging all-in-one devices for portable and wearable applications.

Air-Processed All-Inorganic Halide Perovskites Integrated Photorechargeable Supercapacitors

“…This electricity is then immediately stored in the energy storage section. The photocharged power pack releases the stored electricity to power the external devices wherever and whenever necessary, indicating the completion of the “photoelectrochemical” energy conversion. − Much work has gone into developing integrated systems with excellent power conversion and storage efficiency. − But even with these advancements, there are still issues with electrical performance (slow photocharging and discharging rates, relatively low power density, and electrical mismatch in components) and manufacturing processes. ,− The type of integration also plays a vital role in device performance. For the solar cell and supercapacitor to be fully integrated, they must share the same electrode or substrate.…”