{"database":"biostudies-literature","file_versions":[],"scores":null,"additional":{"submitter":["Tordi P"],"funding":["Interdisciplinary Thematic Institute SysChem","Italian Ministry of Research","Department of Chemistry \"Ugo Schiff\", University of Florence, Italy","European Union","National Recovery and Resilience Plan","Institut Universitaire de France","CSGI (Consorzio Interuniversitario per lo Sviluppo dei Sistemi a Grande Interfase)","European Commission","NextGenerationEU"],"pagination":["e2503937"],"full_dataset_link":["https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12372438"],"repository":["biostudies-literature"],"omics_type":["Unknown"],"volume":["21(33)"],"pubmed_abstract":["The development of sustainable, high-performance gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) is crucial for next-generation energy storage; however, existing materials often exhibit limited mechanical stability, suboptimal ionic transport, or environmental drawbacks. Here, for the first time gelatin-alginate organohydrogels  crosslinked with Cu<sup>2+</sup> and Mn<sup>2+</sup> are used as GPEs for supercapacitors, in combination with Li<sup>+</sup> incorporation to enhance ionic conductivity and transport. Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) reveals that the choice of the crosslinking cation governs the nanoscale organization of the polymer network-reflected in distinct correlation lengths-which in turn critically influences ionic transport, mechanical stability, and electrochemical performance. Cu<sup>2+</sup>-crosslinked gels achieve the highest areal capacitance (591.8 mF cm<sup>-2</sup>), energy density (82.2 µWh cm<sup>-2</sup>), and power density (1957.8 µW cm<sup>-2</sup>), whereas Mn<sup>2+</sup>-crosslinked gels exhibit superior cycling stability (88.3% retention over 5000 cycles). Li<sup>+</sup> incorporation increases the mechanical flexibility of Mn-based gels-reducing the compressive modulus by over 60%-enhancing ion mobility and charge storage. Conversely, Cu-based gels maintain structural integrity while exhibiting improved conductivity. These findings demonstrate how biopolymer-based GPEs, designed through nanoscale engineering and ion doping, achieve an optimal balance of mechanical robustness and electrochemical performance. By combining scalability and exceptional energy storage capabilities, these materials establish a new paradigm for flexible supercapacitors and sustainable energy technologies."],"journal":["Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)"],"pubmed_title":["Ionically Tunable Gel Electrolytes Based on Gelatin-Alginate Biopolymers for High-Performance Supercapacitors."],"pmcid":["PMC12372438"],"funding_grant_id":["ANR-10-IDEX-0002","ProgettoDipartimentidiEccellenza2023-2027","B83C22004890007"],"pubmed_authors":["Ciesielski A","Montes-Garcia V","Bonini M","Tordi P","Tamayo A","Samori P"],"additional_accession":[]},"is_claimable":false,"name":"Ionically Tunable Gel Electrolytes Based on Gelatin-Alginate Biopolymers for High-Performance Supercapacitors.","description":"The development of sustainable, high-performance gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) is crucial for next-generation energy storage; however, existing materials often exhibit limited mechanical stability, suboptimal ionic transport, or environmental drawbacks. Here, for the first time gelatin-alginate organohydrogels  crosslinked with Cu<sup>2+</sup> and Mn<sup>2+</sup> are used as GPEs for supercapacitors, in combination with Li<sup>+</sup> incorporation to enhance ionic conductivity and transport. Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) reveals that the choice of the crosslinking cation governs the nanoscale organization of the polymer network-reflected in distinct correlation lengths-which in turn critically influences ionic transport, mechanical stability, and electrochemical performance. Cu<sup>2+</sup>-crosslinked gels achieve the highest areal capacitance (591.8 mF cm<sup>-2</sup>), energy density (82.2 µWh cm<sup>-2</sup>), and power density (1957.8 µW cm<sup>-2</sup>), whereas Mn<sup>2+</sup>-crosslinked gels exhibit superior cycling stability (88.3% retention over 5000 cycles). Li<sup>+</sup> incorporation increases the mechanical flexibility of Mn-based gels-reducing the compressive modulus by over 60%-enhancing ion mobility and charge storage. Conversely, Cu-based gels maintain structural integrity while exhibiting improved conductivity. These findings demonstrate how biopolymer-based GPEs, designed through nanoscale engineering and ion doping, achieve an optimal balance of mechanical robustness and electrochemical performance. By combining scalability and exceptional energy storage capabilities, these materials establish a new paradigm for flexible supercapacitors and sustainable energy technologies.","dates":{"release":"2025-01-01T00:00:00Z","publication":"2025 Aug","modification":"2026-05-08T06:53:45.671Z","creation":"2026-04-07T23:31:30.646Z"},"accession":"S-EPMC12372438","cross_references":{"pubmed":["40528667"],"doi":["10.1002/smll.202503937"]}}