An efficient pathway to improve the
performance of supercapacitors. Credit: Dawei Su
Demand for integrated energy storage devices is
growing rapidly as people rely more and more on portable and wireless
electronics, and the global need grows for clean energy sources such as solar
and wind energies.
This is creating an exponential need for
advanced energy storage technologies — reliable and maintenance-free batteries
and supercapacitors (SC) with high power density capability as storage
devices. Supercapacitors are prominent
candidates to meet this need due to their environmentally friendly and long
cyclability characteristics.
Researchers from the Integrated Nano Systems
Lab (INSys Lab), in the Centre for Clean Energy Technology, have been working
on a pathway to improve the performance of supercapacitors, and meet that demand
for increased storage capacity.
Dr. Mojtaba Amjadipour and Professor Francesca
Iacopi (School of Data and Electrical Engineering) and Dr. Dawei Su (School of
Mathematical and Physical Sciences) describe their cutting-edge work in the
July 2020 issue of the journal Batteries and Supercaps. The prominence given to Graphitic-Based
Solid-State Supercapacitors: Enabling Redox Reaction by In Situ Electrochemical
Treatment – designated a Very Important Paper with front coverage placement —
signifies just how innovative their research is in developing alternate ways to
extend storage capacity
Dr. Iacopi said the multi-disciplinary approach
within the team was beneficial in discovering what she says is a simple
process.
“This research has originated from our curiosity
of exploring the operation limits of the cells, leading us to unforeseen
beneficial results. The control of this process would not have been possible
without understanding the fundamental reasons for the observed improvement,
using our team’s complementary expertise.â€
Traditionally, supercapacitors are fabricated
with liquid electrolytes, which cannot be miniaturized and can be prone to
leakage, prompting research into gel-based and solid-state electrolytes.
Tailoring these electrolytes in combination with carbon-based electrode
materials such as graphene, graphene oxide, and carbon nanotubes is of
paramount importance for an enhanced energy storage performance.
Graphene or graphitic carbon directly
fabricated on silicon surfaces offers significant potential for on-chip
supercapacitors that can be embedded into integrated systems. The research
insights indicate a simple path to significantly enhance the performance of
supercapacitors using gel-based electrolytes, which are key to the fabrication
of quasi-solid-(gel) supercapacitors.
“This approach offers a new path to develop
further miniaturized on-chip energy storage systems, which are compatible with
silicon electronics and can support the power demand to operate integrated
smart systems,†Dr. Iacopi said.