PEDOT@Nb2CTX/cotton Fabric Thermoelectric-Supercapacitor for Power Generation and Storage Integration

With the rapid development of smart wearable devices, the limitations of traditional supercapacitors—which rely on external power sources and have separate energy harvesting and storage functions—need to be overcome. This study employs Nb₂CT X and conductive polymer PEDOT to construct a PEDOT@Nb₂CT X /cotton fabric composite electrode via low-temperature interface polymerization, integrating thermoelectric effects with electrochemical energy storage. By controlling the loading of Nb₂CT X through immersion coating, electrode performance is optimized, while introducing low-temperature interface polymerization technology to grow PEDOT enhances charge storage capacity. Electrochemical testing shows that the PEDOT@Nb₂CT X-120 single electrode achieves areal capacitance of 66.86 mF/cm² at 2 mA/cm², a 1.36-fold increase compared to pure Nb₂CT X /cotton fabric; the assembled symmetric supercapacitor exhibits excellent cycling stability, with a capacitance retention rate of 79.4% after 5,000 charge-discharge cycles. Thermal performance testing indicates that at a temperature difference of 30 °C, the device can increase the supercapacitor voltage by 57 mV within 15 seconds, enabling thermal energy conversion and storage. This study provides a new strategy for integrating environmental thermal energy harvesting and flexible energy storage in wearable devices, and the prepared composite device holds potential application value in the field of self-powered flexible electronics.