Chapter 1 - Sustainable functional materials for next-generation supercapacitors

Abstract

The next-generation supercapacitor should be able to provide high energy density, high power density, and excellent cycling stability with sustainable functional materials. The combination of capacitor-type material and battery-type material is necessary, and it is expected to achieve these requirements by using different sorts of energy storage devices. This chapter is divided into three parts according to different energy storage materials. The sustainable functional materials for next-generation supercapacitors include metal compounds, conducting polymers, and carbon materials. The commonly used metal compounds include metal oxides, metal sulfides, and metal hydroxides. Nickel and cobalt with high theoretical capacitance and high electrical conductivity are commonly used metals in metal compounds. In this chapter we also pay more attention to discussing nickel cobalt-based metal compounds. The commonly used conducting polymers include polypyrrole and polyaniline. The commonly used carbon materials include active carbon, graphene, graphene oxide, and carbon nanotubes. For each part, the category, synthesizing methods, physical properties, and energy storage abilities of the sustainable functional materials will be discussed. In turn, the advantages and disadvantages of using metal compounds, conducting polymers, and carbon materials as sustainable functional materials will be provided. In the last part we plan to offer suggestions for the future prospect of establishing more efficient sustainable functional materials for next-generation supercapacitors.