Biocompatible Electrode Materials for Bio-Integrated Energy Storage: Performance, Transport, Safety and Sustainability Trade-Offs
Independent Researchers.
Review Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2024, 23(01), 3306-3328
Publication history:
Received on 23 May 2024; revised on 21 July 2024; accepted on 27 July 2024
Abstract:
Increased demand for safe, sustainable, and bio-integrated energy storage devices has sparked greater interest in developing biocompatible electrode materials that can function in wearable, implantable, and environmentally friendly devices. Unlike traditional electrode materials, which have been optimized based on electrochemical properties, biocompatible electrodes must meet critical requirements in terms of electrical conductivity, charge storage, mechanical compliance, chemical stability, biological safety, and environmental sustainability. This article provides a comprehensive and critical review of four dominant classes of biocompatible electrode materials, which include carbon-based materials, conductive polymers, biopolymer-derived carbons, and biocompatible metal oxides, with special emphasis on their application in supercapacitors and other electrochemical energy storage devices.
We have developed a comprehensive and critical evaluation framework that includes electrochemical properties (specific capacitance, energy and power density, rate capability, and cycling stability), charge transport and kinetic properties (electronic conductivity, ion diffusion, charge transfer resistance, equivalent series resistance, and IR drop), structural and morphological properties (surface area, pore structure, mechanical flexibility, and mass loading), biocompatibility properties (cytotoxicity, inflammatory response, hemocompatibility, and implantability), chemical and environmental stability, and sustainability and manufacturability.
Carbon-based electrodes, including activated carbon, graphene, carbon nanotubes, and carbons derived from biomass, are recognized as the most reliable materials for high-power and long-cycle applications due to their excellent chemical inertness, low toxicity, high surface area, and excellent cycling durability. Conductive polymers such as PEDOT:PSS, polyaniline, and polypyrrole have demonstrated enhanced pseudocapacitance and mechanical softness, which are beneficial for flexible and bio-integrated applications, but the electrochemical stability and redox fatigue are the major challenges. Biopolymer-derived carbons have also demonstrated the possibility of developing sustainable materials using renewable sources such as cellulose, chitosan, and alginate, which have demonstrated excellent hierarchical porosity, electrochemical properties, and environmental compatibility. Biocompatible metal oxide materials such as MnO₂, TiO₂, Fe₃O₄, and ZnO have demonstrated excellent theoretical capacitance and energy density due to the faradaic charge storage mechanism, but the low intrinsic conductivity, ion transport, and dose-dependent toxicity are the major challenges.
Through a systematic comparison of these material classes, this review aims to shed light on some fundamental performance-biocompatibility-sustainability trade-offs, as well as derive design principles for optimizing electrode selection based on application-specific priorities. Finally, we outline some exciting opportunities in hybrid material architectures, green synthesis strategies, bio-resorbable electrodes, and advanced bio-integrated energy technologies, providing a forward-looking roadmap for the development of safe, sustainable, and high-performance biocompatible energy storage technologies.
Keywords:
Energy storage; Biocompatibility; Pseudocapacitance; Conductive polymers; Electrical Double Layer
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Copyright © 2024 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0