Technical Approaches for Preparation of Cellulose-Based Separators for Application in Supercapacitors

Supercapacitors are attractive devices of energy storage and intensively investigated by researchers over the world. The performance of a supercapacitor is determined by four main elements: electrodes, electrolyte, current collector, and separator. Despite the fact that the separator does not participate in the energy accumulation, it plays an important role to ensure cyclabity and safety of supercapacitor operation. Over the past few years, cellulose-based separators have attracted considerable attention to research as an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to commercial polymer-based separators. Various innovative methods of cellulose-based separators production have been developed for improving efficiency of supercapacitors. This review article focuses on the features of various technical approaches of cellulose-based separators production and performance of supercapacitors assembled with those materials. A comparison of cellulose-based separators with a conventional polymer one in terms of cost, performance, and environmental impact is also provided.