Due to the increasing demand for using compact and low-power wireless sensors, the interest in designing hybrid cells with the dual properties of energy harvesting and storage has been growing in recent years. Among different designs, twoelectrode hybrid cells are more suitable for low-voltage and low-power electronics. Using a redox-active polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/polyaniline (PANI)-based gel electrolyte, a two-terminal device was fabricated and tested in this study. The performance of the gel electrolyte was assessed in different devices made from a carbon nanotube-based cathode and four different anodes. All the tested anodes were made from a conductive glass coated with mesoporous TiO2, transparent TiO2, opaque TiO2, or mesoporous ZrO2. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), open circuit voltage (OCV), and short circuit current (SCC) were conducted to investigate the properties of the devices. The fabricated device with the transparent TiO2 coating has shown a capacitance of 0.363 mF and with the opaque TiO2 coating has shown a photovoltaic potential of 244 mV. The results suggest further studies on materials nanostructure to achieve higher energy conversion efficiency and larger storage capacitances for future applications in wireless devices.
|