Flexible and sustainable energy storage: Recent progress and prospects in wearable supercapacitors

From consumer electronics to healthcare and beyond, wearable supercapacitors are poised to be instrumental in shaping the future of portable and wearable technology. Wearable supercapacitors play a pivotal role in the healthcare sector. They power up the medical wearables, such as continuous glucose monitors and smart patches, contributing to the advancement of remote patient monitoring. In industrial applications and military settings, wearable supercapacitors find demand for powering communication devices, sensors, and augmented reality tools incorporated into wearable gear. The efficiency, lightweight nature, and quick-charging capabilities of supercapacitors make them particularly valuable in scenarios where reliability and rapid energy deployment are critical. Recently, tremendous explorations have been carried out on the device architectures and selections of electrode and electrolyte materials to achieve high-performance supercapacitor devices. In this review, we focus on the recent developments in flexible, wearable supercapacitor designs, fabrication techniques, electrode materials, and electrolyte materials. The key examples are highlighted and discussed. Moreover, the advancements in textile supercapacitors are covered with stress given to the role of biodegradable materials in developing sustainable energy storage. Furthermore, the current challenges and future prospects for research and development will be addressed. • Through investigation of the latest advancements in the state-of-the-art of flexible supercapacitors (SCs). • Comprehensive emphasis on advanced architectures, functional materials, and enabling technologies for flexible wearable SCs. • In-depth analysis of fabrication techniques, material innovations for electrodes, and electrolytes of textile SCs. • Summary of advances in biodegradable materials for sustainable flexible energy storage technologies. • Detailed overview of fundamental characteristics and key performance metrics of SC.