A chemically bonded supercapacitor using a highly stretchable and adhesive gel polymer electrolyte based on an ionic liquid and epoxy-triblock diamine network.

Despite significant advances in the development of flexible gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs), there are still problems to be addressed to apply them to flexible electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs), including interfacial interactions between the electrolyte and electrode under deformation. Previously reported EDLCs using GPEs have laminated structures with weak interfacial interactions between the electrode and electrolyte, leading to fragility upon elongation and low power density due to lower utilization of the surface area of the carbon material in the electrode. To overcome these problems, we present a new strategy for constructing an epoxy-based GPE that can provide strong adhesion between electrode and electrolyte. The GPE is synthesized by polymerization of epoxy and an ionic liquid. This GPE shows high flexibility up to 509% and excellent adhesive properties that enable strong chemical bonding between the electrode and electrolyte. Moreover, the GPE is stable at high voltage and high temperature with high ionic conductivity of ∼10-3 S cm-1. EDLCs based on the developed GPE exhibit good compatibility between the electrode and electrolyte and work properly when deformed. The EDLCs also show a high specific capacitance of 99 F g-1, energy density of 113 W h kg-1, and power density of 4.5 kW g-1. The excellent performance of the GPE gives it tremendous potential for use in next generation electronic devices such as wearable devices.

Predictors of influenza vaccine uptake during the 2009/10 influenza A H1N1v ('swine flu') pandemic: Results from five national surveys in the United Kingdom.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate reasons underlying the low uptake of the influenza A H1N1v vaccination in the UK during the 2009/10 pandemic. METHODS: We analysed data from five national telephone surveys conducted in the UK during the latter stages of the pandemic to identify predictors of uptake amongst members of the public offered the vaccine by their primary care physician (n=1320). In addition to demographic variables, participants reported: reasons for declining the vaccination, levels of worry about the risk of catching swine flu, whether too much fuss was being made about the pandemic, whether they or a close friend or relative had had swine flu, how effective they felt the vaccine was, whether they had previously had a seasonal flu vaccination, how well prepared they felt the government was for a pandemic and how satisfied they were with information available about the pandemic. Most participants (n=734, 55.6%) reported being vaccinated against swine flu, compared to 396 who had not been vaccinated and were unlikely to be vaccinated in the future. RESULTS: The main reasons given for declining vaccination were concerns over the vaccine's safety, and being generally healthy. Controlling for demographic variables, risk factors for not being vaccinated were: being female, not having a long-standing infirmity or illness, not having been vaccinated against seasonal flu in previous years, feeling that too much fuss had been made about the pandemic and believing that the vaccine was ineffective. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions that target these factors may be effective in improving uptake in a future pandemic.