Excellent rate capability supercapacitor based on a free-standing PEDOT:PSS film enabled by the hydrothermal method.

For the first time, herein, the hydrothermal method with H2SO4 as the solvent is introduced to enhance the rate capability of free-standing pristine PEDOT:PSS films. The film with a record conductivity of 3188 S cm-1 displays a rectangular characteristic at an ultrahigh scan rate of 1300 mV s-1 and a stable specific capacitance of 110 F cm-3 from 0.1 to 100 A cm-3, with a capacitance retention of up to 94.8%. The flexible supercapacitor based on the films delivers a comparable energy density of 2.96 mW h cm-3 even at a high power density of 36 685 mW cm-3. This study provides an effective method to prepare PEDOT:PSS films with outstanding electrochemical properties and potentially expand its applications in flexible devices.