Priority of the effects of interface bonding and porosity on the energy storage capacity of structural supercapacitors

Abstract

Both interface bonding between the electrodes and the electrolytes and the porosity in structural electrolytes have a great effect on the energy storage capacity of structural supercapacitors (SSC). To verify the priority of the two factors on the energy storage capacity of SSC, HP-CSA expansion agent (HP-CSA) was introduced to enhance the interface bonding of SSC. The results show that the introduction of HP-CSA can enhance the interface bonding of SSC, but decrease the porosity of the electrolyte. After introducing 3 wt % HP-CSA to the polymer cement electrolyte (PCE), the areal capacitance of the SSC increased by 79.93% than that of the SSC based on PCE-0. Moreover, its energy density increased by 79.85% compared with the SSC based on PCE-0. Therefore, the interface bonding of SSC has a greater effect on its energy storage capacity than the porosity in structural electrolytes. This work provides a direction for improving the energy storage capacity of SSC in the future.