Electrochemical Investigation of Activated Carbon Electrode Supercapacitors

Supercapacitors, also called as ultracapacitors, are electrochemical energy-storage devices that exploit the electrostatic interaction between high-surface-area nanoporous electrodes and electrolyte ions, combining properties of conventional batteries and conventional capacitors. A symmetrical activated carbon (AC) electrode supercapacitor has been fabricated in a simple and inexpensive manner. The AC has been synthesized from Charcoal, has activated in a furnace at high temperatures. The electrode was fabricated by casting slurry made of AC and blended in a polymer solution on the counter electrode (current collector), appeared to have high mechanical strength. The electrochemical performance of the prepared samples was tested in 1 M KCl solution by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge discharge technique, and impedance spectroscopy. The surface and cross-section of electrode was observed with SEM. Capacitance of fabricated supercapacitor has a favorable capacitance in the range of 65–70 F/g with low resistance. The AC electrode supercapacitor has excellent electro chemical reversibility, good cycle stability with a low fading rate of specific capacitance even after 500 cycles, which is promising for energy storage applications.     

Perovskite SrCo0.9Nb0.1O3−δ as an Anion‐Intercalated Electrode Material for Supercapacitors with Ultrahigh Volumetric Energy Density

We have synthesized and characterized perovskite‐type SrCo_0.9Nb_0.1O_3−δ (SCN) as a novel anion‐intercalated electrode material for supercapacitors in an aqueous KOH electrolyte, demonstrating a very high volumetric capacitance of about 2034.6 F cm⁻³ (and gravimetric capacitance of ca. 773.6 F g⁻¹) at a current density of 0.5 A g⁻¹ while maintaining excellent cycling stability with a capacity retention of 95.7 % after 3000 cycles. When coupled with an activated carbon (AC) electrode, the SCN/AC asymmetric supercapacitor delivered a specific energy density as high as 37.6 Wh kg⁻¹ with robust long‐term stability.     

A High-Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitor Based on Tungsten Oxide Nanoplates and Highly Reduced Graphene Oxide Electrodes

Tungsten oxide/graphene hybrid materials are attractive semiconductors for energy-related applications. Herein, we report an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC, HRG//m-WO₃ ASC), fabricated from monoclinic tungsten oxide (m-WO₃) nanoplates as a negative electrode and highly reduced graphene oxide (HRG) as a positive electrode material. The supercapacitor performance of the prepared electrodes was evaluated in an aqueous electrolyte (1 m H₂SO₄) using three- and two-electrode systems. The HRG//m-WO₃ ASC exhibits a maximum specific capacitance of 389 F g⁻¹ at a current density of 0.5 A g⁻¹, with an associated high energy density of 93 Wh kg⁻¹ at a power density of 500 W kg⁻¹ in a wide 1.6 V operating potential window. In addition, the HRG//m-WO₃ ASC displays long-term cycling stability, maintaining 92 % of the original specific capacitance after 5000 galvanostatic charge–discharge cycles. The m-WO₃ nanoplates were prepared hydrothermally while HRG was synthesized by a modified Hummers method.     

静电纺氧化锰复合碳纳米纤维柔性膜的电化学性能

采用一步法静电纺丝技术制备了具有超亲水特性的氧化锰/碳纳米纤维(MnO_x/CNFs)复合柔性膜电极材料,并通过X射线衍射、扫描电子显微镜和透射电子显微镜等对复合材料进行了表征.电化学性能测试结果表明,复合材料的电容性能优于单一材料,醋酸锰质量分数为40%时制得的复合纳米纤维电极(MC-4)在1 A/g电流密度下,于2 mol/L KOH电解液中的比电容高达1112.5 F/g,10 A/g电流密度下循环3000次比容量保持在93.4%,具有很好的稳定性.MnO_x/CNFs复合材料电化学性能增强一方面是由于三维超亲水纤维膜结构有利于电解液的快速浸润渗透,从而极大缩短了传输到材料基质的有效路径;另一方面是由于碳和MnO_x的协同效应,包裹在MnO_x粒子周围的碳层避免了MnO_x在充放电过程中的体积膨胀效应,这2种叠加机制促进了电化学性能的提升.     

Electrochemical capacitance study of cellulose-manganese dioxide nano-composite

In this study, cellulose-manganese dioxide nano-composites were synthesized and their electrochemical behavior studied as electrode in an electrochemical supercapacitor (ECS). The morphology of composites were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to determine the thermal stability and water content of the composites. The electrochemical capacitance of the composites is studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in Na₂SO₄ electrolyte (0.5 M) at room temperature. The results show that the capacitance of the composites are strongly affected by the nano-structure, structural continuity, thermal stability and surface/structural water of manganese dioxide. A high specific capacitance of 171 F/g was obtained for cellulose-manganese dioxide nano-composite which has higher structural continuity, lower water content and better thermal stability.     

低热固相法制备纳米MnO2/CNT超电容复合电极的循环稳定性

为了改善纳米MnO2超级电容器电极的充放电循环稳定性,以Mn(OAc)2·4H2O、NH4HCO3和碳纳米管(CNT)为原料,采用低热固相反应得到前驱体,再经焙烧和酸处理,制备了一系列CNT含量不同的纳米MnO2/CNT复合电极材料,并用X射线衍射(XRD)、透射电镜(TEM)和Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET)比表面积测定方法对其进行了表征.XRD分析结果表明,复合材料中的MnO2为纳米γ-MnO2.研究了复合电极在1 mol·L-1 LiOH电解质中的电化学性能,并与不含CNT的纯纳米MnO2电极进行了比较.结果表明,含CNTs为10%(w,质最分数,下同)和20%的MnO2/CNT复合电极的循环稳定性远优于纯纳米MnO2电极的循环稳定性,其中含10%CNTs的MnO2/CNT复合电极不仪具有良好的循环稳定性,而且在1000 mA·g-1高倍率充放电条件下仍具有200 F·g-1的高比电容.     

活性炭二次活化对其电化学容量的影响

为进一步提高作为电化学超级电容器电极材料活性炭的电化学容量, 采用KOH作为二次活性剂, 将所得活性炭进行二次化学活化处理, 从而得到二次活化活性炭. 将原始活性炭材料与二次活化活性炭材料都分别经过系列处理, 组装成电化学超级电容器进行电化学性能测试. 测试结果表明, 二次活化活性炭材料的电化学容量达到145.0 F·g-1(有机电解液), 远远大于原活性炭材料的容量(45.0 F·g-1). 为研究二次活化活性炭材料电化学容量大幅提高的原因, 将这两种材料分别进行微观结构数据测试, 包括比表面积、N2吸脱附等温曲线和孔径分布. 研究结果表明, 二次活化处理大大增加了二次活化活性炭材料在孔径为2-3 nm的中孔分布, 从而证实对于有机电解液, 电极材料在2-3 nm的中孔对其电化学容量的提高具有重要意义.     

Investigating metal-organic framework as a new pseudo-capacitive material for supercapacitors

A new application of metal organic framework （MOF） as a pseudo-capacitive material for supercapacitors is investigated. To this end, a simple nickel-based MOF, formulated Ni3（btc）2.12H2O, is synthesized via a hydrothermal reaction. As an electro-active material, such nickel-based MOF exhibits superior pseudo- capacitive behavior in KOH aqueous electrolyte with a high specific capacitance of 726 F g-1. Also, it displays good electrochemical stability with 94.6% of the initial capacitance over consecutive 1000 cycles. In addition, a simple asymmetric supercapacitor with a high energy density of 16.5 Wh kg-1 is successfully built using the nickel-based MOF as positive electrode and commercial activated carbon as negative electrode in KOH electrolyte.     

Supercapacitor performance of activated carbon derived from rotten carrot in aqueous,organic and ionic liquid based electrolytes

In this work, we report the synthesis of porous activated carbon (AC). AC was derived from rotten carrot, at different values of activating temperature under inert atmosphere, employing chemical activation method and ZnCl₂ as activation agent. On the basis of results observed by surface area and pore size analysis, effect of activation temperature on synthesized AC was determined. Other material properties such as morphology, thermal stability, vibrational response, and crystal structure of prepared AC were studied using standard techniques of material characterization. Further, the electrochemical performance of synthesized AC was studied as an electrode, in aqueous, organic and ionic liquid based electrolyte. It was found that the synthesized AC based electrode exhibits highest specific capacitance (135.5?F?g^?1 at 10?mHz) in aqueous electrolyte and highest specific energy (29.1?Wh?kg^?1 at 2.2?A?g^?1) and specific power (142.5?kW?kg^?1 at 2.2?A?g^?1) in ionic liquid based electrolyte. This shows the suitability of synthesized material for use in energy storage applications.     

Enhanced energy density of asymmetric supercapacitors via optimizing negative electrode material and mass ratio of negative/positive electrodes

An asymmetric supercapacitor based on manganese dioxide/Au/nickel foam (MANF) electrode as positive electrode and graphene or commercial activated carbons (AC) as negative electrode was fabricated. The effect of different negative electrode materials and mass ratios of negative/positive electrodes on the electrochemical properties of the asymmetric supercapacitor was carefully investigated. The results suggest that the mass ratio of negative/positive electrode has a significant impact on the specific capacitance of the asymmetric supercapacitor. Especially, it is found that the optimal mass ratio of the negative/positive electrode is slightly lower than that calculated according to charge balance. On the other hand, the asymmetric supercapacitor with commercialized AC as negative electrode possesses higher specific capacitance and better rate capability than that of the asymmetric supercapacitor with graphene as negative electrode. The negative material has slight impact on the cycle stability of the asymmetric supercapacitor. In addition, the optimized asymmetric supercapacitor with MANF composite as positive electrode and AC as negative electrode can obtain an energy density as high as 65.9 Wh?kg^?1 at a power density of 180 W?kg^?1 and a cell voltage of 1.8 V in the neutral Na₂SO₄ aqueous solution.     

Electrochemical capacitance performance of polypyrrole–titania nanotube hybrid

In this study, the polypyrrole–titania nanotube hybrid has been synthesized for an electrochemical supercapacitor application. The highly ordered and independent titania nanotube array is fabricated by an electro-oxidation of titanium sheet through an electrochemical anodization process in an aqueous solution containing ammonium fluoride, phosphoric acid and ethylene glycol. The polypyrrole–titania nanotube hybrid is then prepared by electrodepositing the conducting polypyrrole into well-aligned titania nanotubes through a normal pulse voltammetry deposition process in an organic acetonitrile solution containing pyrrole monomer and lithium perchlorate. The morphology and microstructure of polypyrrole–titania nanotube hybrid are characterized by scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The electrochemical capacitance performance is determined by cyclic voltammetry and charge/discharge measurement. It indicates that the polypyrrole film can been uniformly deposited on both surfaces of titania nanotube walls, demonstrating a heterogeneous coaxial nanotube structure. The specific capacitance of polypyrrole–titania nanotube hybrid is determined to be 179?F?g^?1 based on the polypyrrole mass. The specific energy and specific power are 7.8?Wh?kg^?1 and 2.8?kW?kg^?1 at a constant charge/discharge current of 1.85?mA?cm^?2, respectively. The retained specific capacitance still keeps 85% of the initial capacity even after 200 cycle numbers. This result demonstrates the satisfying stability and durability of PPy–TiO₂ nanotube hybrid electrode in a cyclic charge/discharge process. Such a composite electrode material with highly ordered and coaxial nanotube hybrid structure can contribute high energy storage for supercapacitor applications.     

High performance pliable supercapacitor fabricated using activated carbon nanospheres intercalated into boron nitride nanoplates by pulsed laser ablation technique

Pliable supercapacitor, yielding specific capacitance (C_s) and energy density as high as 348 F g⁻¹ and 48.3 Wh Kg⁻¹ respectively was fabricated using modified activated carbon electrodes. The nanospheres of activated carbon (AC) were anchored on the nanoplates of boron nitride (BN) by employing the facile technique of pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) using 532 nm focused laser beam. Four different variants of electrode materials were synthesized by varying the weight percentage (1%, 3%, 5% and 10%) of BN in AC in the PLAL precursor solution. The morphological characteristics, the elemental composition and the structural analysis of the synthesized electrode materials were studied respectively by FESEM, XPS and XRD. The morphological studies indicated that the PLAL synthesis of the electrode materials resulted in proper intercalation of carbon nanospheres into BN nanoplates, which resulted in the observed enhanced performance of the fabricated supercapacitor. Four supercapacitors in this work were fabricated using the four variants of synthesized electrode materials in conjunction with gel polymer electrolyte (GPE). GPE are well known for their non-corrosive nature and best sealing ability to avoid any leakage that results in increasing the cycle life of the device. The performance of the fabricated supercapacitors was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge discharge (GCD) measurement and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results indicate that the supercapacitor fabricated using 3% BN in AC as electrode material manifested the best specific capacitance and energy density. Also it was found that the supercapacitor maintained 85% of its initial capacitance even after 5000 charge/discharge cycles.     

Preparation and performance of polyvinyl alcohol-based activated carbon as electrode material in both aqueous and organic electrolytes

Porous carbon materials with high surface area and different pore structure have been successfully prepared by phenolic resin combined with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and KOH as activation agents. The surface morphology, structure, and specific surface area of the carbon materials were studied by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and nitrogen sorption measurement, respectively. Furthermore, the effects of specific surface area, pore structure, and electrolyte on electrochemical properties were investigated by galvanostatic charge–discharge measurement. The results show that KOH–PVA-activated carbon materials display specific capacitance as high as 218 F?g^?1 in 30 wt.% KOH aqueous electrolyte, 147 F?g^?1 in 1 M LiPF₆/(ethylene carbonate (EC) + dimethyl carbonate) (1:1?v/v), and 115 F?g^?1 in 1 M Et₃MeNBF₄/propylene carbonate organic electrolyte, respectively. In addition, the carbon materials demonstrate long-term cycle stability, especially the AK3P-0.30 in aqueous electrolyte and the AK2P-0.30 with excellent rate capability in organic electrolyte. These reveal that the existence of a micro-mesoporous structure of activated carbon is beneficial to store energy in an aqueous supercapacitor and broad pore size distribution of activated carbon is favorable to energy storage in an organic supercapacitor. The carbon materials with pore size distribution in different ranges improve the electrochemical performance of supercapacitor in different electrolytes. A new pore-expand agent (PVA combining with KOH) was used to obtain porous carbons with enhanced properties for supercapacitor.     

高能量密度和功率密度炭电极材料

以核桃壳为原料, 采用同步物理-化学活化法制备活性炭(AC). 用氮气吸附法和傅立叶红外光谱(FTIR), 对活性炭的孔结构和表面官能团进行了分析. 以活性炭为电极材料制备炭电极, 6 mol·L-1 KOH溶液为电解液组装成超级电容器, 利用恒电流充放电、循环伏安、交流阻抗等电化学测试方法研究其电化学性能及其与活性炭材料结构的关系. 结果表明, 实验电容器的内电阻、漏电流小, 循环充放电稳定性好, 容量保持率高; 活性炭的比电容随比表面积的增加而增大, 且与BET比表面积呈线性相关; 孔径在1.5-4 nm之间的孔表面有利于形成有效的双电层. 中等比表面积1197 m2·g-1炭样的比电容高达292 F·g-1, 80 mA充放电时, 电容器能量密度高达7.3 Wh·kg-1, 功率密度超过770 W·kg-1,峰值功率密度为5.1 W·g-1.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Nanostructured Manganese Dioxide Used as Positive Electrode Material for Electrochemical Capacitor with Lithium Hydroxide Electrolyte

A nanostructured manganese dioxide electrode material was prepared using a solid‐reaction route starting with MnCl₂·4H₂O and NH₄HCO₃, and its electrochemical performance as a positive electrode for MnO₂/activated carbon hybrid supercapacitor with 1 mol·L^?1 LiOH electrolyte was reported. The material was proved to be a mixture of nanostructured γ‐MnO₂ and α‐MnO₂ containing some bound water in the structure, which was characterized by X‐ray diffraction analysis, infrared spectrum analysis, and transmission electron microscope observation. Electrochemical properties of the MnO₂ electrode and the MnO₂/AC capacitor were investigated by cyclic voltammetry, ac impedance and galvanostatic charge/discharge methods. Experimental results showed that the MnO₂ electrode exhibited faradaic pseudocapacitance behavior and higher specific capacitance in 1 mol·L^?1 LiOH electrolyte. The MnO₂/AC hybrid capacitor with 1 mol·L^?1 LiOH electrolyte presented excellent rate charge/discharge ability and cyclic stability.     

Hydrothermal Synthesis of NiCo-layered Double Hydroxide Nanosheets Decorated on Biomass Carbon Skeleton for High Performance Supercapacitor

Afacile hydrothermal strategy is adopted to synthesize the composite of NiCo-layered double hydroxide(NiCo-LDH) with biomass carbon as substrate for supercapacitor electrodes. The prepared NiCo@BC was characterized by means of X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electronic microscopy(SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy, and electrochemical tests. The SEM images demonstrated that numerous NiCo-LDH nanosheets directly grew on the surface of biomass carbon uniformly. Electrochemical tests indicated that the NiCo@BC electrode exhibited good capacitive behavior with a specific capacitance of 606.4 F/g at the current density of 0.5 A/g. In addition, the composite electrode showed excellent cyclic stability of 87.1% even after 1000 cycles. These results manifest that NiCo@BC nanocomposite is a promising candidate for the electrode material for future supercapacitor practical applications.     

High voltage supercapacitors using hydrated graphene film in a neutral aqueous electrolyte

The potential stability windows of chemical converted graphene in different aqueous electrolyte solutions were investigated for the first time. Based on this result, a supercapacitor with a high voltage and long cycle-life was prepared with the hydrated graphene films in the neutral aqueous solution at the maximum voltage of 1.6 and even 1.8 V. The electrochemical performance of the obtained sample was systematically investigated by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge/discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. According to the cyclic voltammetry, hydrated graphene film can still retain rectangular shape at the high scan rate of 0.5 V/s in the neutral aqueous electrolyte. At a galvanostatic charge/discharge rate of 1 or 200 A/g, the specific capacitance of 202.3 or 138.1 F/g was delivered, respectively. Furthermore, the EIS results also confirm its fast neutral ion diffusion and high operating frequency of 9.34 Hz.     

Facile preparation and enhanced capacitance of the polyaniline/sodium alginate nanofiber network for supercapacitors

A porous and mat-like polyaniline/sodium alginate (PANI/SA) composite with excellent electrochemical properties was polymerized in an aqueous solution with sodium sulfate as a template. Ultraviolet-visible spectra, X-ray diffraction pattern, and Fourier transform infrared spectra were employed to characterize the PANI/SA composite, indicating that the PANI/SA composite was successfully prepared. The PANI/SA nanofibers with uniform diameters from 50 to 100 nm can be observed on scanning electron microscopy. Cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge tests were carried out to investigate the electrochemical properties. The PANI/SA nanostructure electrode exhibits an excellent specific capacitance as high as 2093 F g(-1), long cycle life, and fast reflect of oxidation/reduction on high current changes. The remarkable electrochemical characteristic is attributed to the nanostructured electrode materials, which generates a high electrode/electrolyte contact area and short path lengths for electronic transport and electrolyte ion. The approach is simple and can be easily extended to fabricate nanostructural composites for supercapacitor electrode materials.     

羧基化石墨烯基导电聚吡咯复合材料的超电容性能

制备了羧基化石墨烯基聚吡咯复合物(CG/ppy）修饰电极,用循环伏安法和交流阻抗法研究了修饰电极的电化学行为,并对修饰电极进行了恒流充放电以及循环稳定性测试。 实验结果表明,CG/ppy显著提高了玻碳电极在电解液中的电流响应,降低了玻碳电极在电解液中的电阻,修饰电极的比电容可达584 F/g,且经过1000次循环后比电容仍保持初始值的81%。 首次将羧基化石墨烯基聚吡咯应用于电化学领域,证实了CG/ppy修饰电极在该领域中有潜在的应用价值。     

Improving the electrochemical performances of active carbon-based supercapacitors through the combination of introducing functional groups and using redox additive electrolyte

High-performance and low-cost electrochemical capacitors (ECs) are essential for large-scale applications in energy storage. In this work, the specific capacitance of active carbon (AC) electrode was significantly improved through the combination of introducing functional groups on the surface of AC and adding redox-active molecules (K₃Fe(CN)₆) into 2?M KOH aqueous electrolytes. The surface-oxygen functionalized AC (FAC) was synthesized using HNO₃ echoed as the electrode and 2?M KOH with 0.1?M K₃Fe(CN)₆ as the electrolyte. The surface functional groups of the AC not only contribute to the pseudocapacitance but also increase the active sites of the electrode/electrolyte interface, which enhances the electrochemical activity of the Fe(CN)₆^3?/Fe(CN)₆^4? redox pair, thus leading to high capacitance. In the redox electrolyte, the specific capacitance was much higher in 229.17?F?g^?1 (1?A?g^?1) achieved for those FAC than in raw AC (only 147.06?F?g^?1). Similarly, the FAC electrode suggested high energy density and extended cycling stability in the KOH?+?K₃Fe(CN)₆ electrolyte.