To combat ever-growing problem of electronic waste, the development of biodegradable electronics has gained popularity. This calls for biodegradable components, including power sources for said devices. For this cause, we study the usage of deep eutectic solvents (DESs), particularly type IV DESs, as a biodegradable, ionically conducting phase in supercapacitors.
Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are eutectic mixtures of Brønstedt or Lewis acids that are liquids at room temperature. They are formed from hydrogen bond donors (HBDs) and acceptors (HBAs), where the hydrogen bonds stabilize the structure of the solvents, causing a dramatic decrease in the melting point. Sometimes DESs and ionic liquids are used interchangeably, but they are, in fact, two different types of solvents. The main difference is that ionic liquids are pure compounds that are liquid at room temperature, whereas DESs are mixtures of different compounds.
DESs are roughly divided into several different types based on their composition:
