Designing the charge storage properties of Li‐exchanged sodium vanadium fluorophosphate for powering implantable biomedical devices

The growing demand for bioelectronics has generated widespread interest in implantable energy storage. These implantable bioelectronic devices, powered by a complementary battery/capacitor system, have faced difficulty in miniaturization without compromising their functionality. This paper reports on the development of a promising high-rate cathode material for implantable power sources based on Li-exchanged Na1.5VOPO4F0.5 anchored on reduced graphene oxide (LNVOPF-rGO). LNVOPF is unique in that it offers dual charge storage mechanisms, which enable it to exhibit mixed battery/capacitor electrochemical behavior. In this work, electrochemical Li-ion exchange of the LNVOPF structure is characterized by operando X-ray diffraction. Through designed nanostructuring, the charge storage kinetics of LNVOPF are improved, as reflected in the stored capacity of 107 mAh g−1 at 20C. A practical full cell device composed of LNVOPF and T-Nb2O5, which serves as a pseudocapacitive anode, is fabricated to demonstrate not only high energy/power density storage (100 Wh kg−1 at 4000 W kg−1) but also reliable pulse capability and biocompatibility, a desirable combination for applications in biostimulating devices. This work underscores the potential of miniaturizing biomedical devices by replacing a conventional battery/capacitor couple with a single power source.