Next-Generation Energy Storage : Sustainable Edible Gel Biopolymer Electrolyte Derived from Jackfruit Seed Starch for Electrical Double Layer Capacitor

Yeo, Jia Xuan (2026) Next-Generation Energy Storage : Sustainable Edible Gel Biopolymer Electrolyte Derived from Jackfruit Seed Starch for Electrical Double Layer Capacitor. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

Text YEO JIA XUAN_Full Text.pdf Restricted to Registered users only Download (10MB)

Abstract

The growing global energy demand has prompted research into environmentally friendly materials to replace traditional, non-biodegradable electrolytes in energy storage systems. This study aims to develop a sustainable, edible gel biopolymer electrolyte (GBPE) by blending jackfruit seed starch with sodium alginate (NaAlg) for use in electrical double-layer capacitor (EDLC) applications. Different weight ratios of jackfruit seed starch to NaAlg were used in the solution casting process to create the GBPEs. The optimum composition, containing a 50:50 ratio of jackfruit seed starch to sodium alginate, achieved a maximum ionic conductivity of 8.37 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹ at room temperature, obeying Arrhenius theory. This improvement came from better ionic dissociation and more movement in the polymer chains. The incorporation of NaAlg also widened the electrochemical potential window. Furthermore, FTIR analysis confirmed the homogeneous blending and complexation between jackfruit seed starch and sodium alginate. The GBPE with the highest conductivity was fabricated into an EDLC cell, where the addition of NaAlg was found to significantly improve electrochemical performance. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) analysis revealed that the specific capacitance of the fabricated EDLC reached 12.51 F cm⁻², demonstrating the potential of this biopolymer electrolyte as a sustainable alternative for energy storage application. The findings match the results from the GCD analysis.