Symmetric Electrochemical Capacitor Research Articles

High-Energy MnO2 Nanowire/Graphene and Graphene Asymmetric Electrochemical Capacitors

In order to achieve high energy and power densities, we developed a high-voltage asymmetric electrochemical capacitor (EC) based on graphene as negative electrode and a MnO(2) nanowire/graphene composite (MGC) as positive electrode in a neutral aqueous Na(2)SO(4) solution as electrolyte. MGC was prepared by solution-phase assembly of graphene sheets and α-MnO(2) nanowires. Such aqueous electrolyte-based asymmetric ECs can be cycled reversibly in the high-voltage region of 0-2.0 V and exhibit a superior energy density of 30.4 Wh kg(-1), which is much higher than those of symmetric ECs based on graphene//graphene (2.8 Wh kg(-1)) and MGC//MGC (5.2 Wh kg(-1)). Moreover, they present a high power density (5000 W kg(-1) at 7.0 Wh kg(-1)) and acceptable cycling performance of ∼79% retention after 1000 cycles. These findings open up the possibility of graphene-based composites for applications in safe aqueous electrolyte-based high-voltage asymmetric ECs with high energy and power densities.

Solid asymmetric electrochemical capacitors using proton-conducting polymer electrolytes

Solid asymmetric electrochemical capacitors (EC) using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)–heteropoly acid (HPA) electrolytes and RuO 2–graphite electrodes were developed. The devices were about 0.2 mm thick and had a working voltage window of 0–1.5 V, 50% wider than that of any proton-conducting symmetric EC. Pseudocapacitance from HPA contributes to the total capacitance of the asymmetric EC within a certain potential window. The PVA–HPA polymers have been proven to function both as electrolyte and as pseudocapacitive electrode material in EC cells.

In Situ Characterization of Heteropolyacid Based Electrochemical Capacitors

The individual potential changes in positive and negative electrodes in symmetric and asymmetric electrochemical capacitors (ECs) were monitored simultaneously with a reference electrode during cyclic voltammetry scans. The tracked potential showed equal changes in both electrodes for symmetric EC and uneven changes for asymmetric EC. An asymmetric EC with graphite-RuO 2 electrodes and H 4 SiW 12 O 40 (SiWA) electrolyte was investigated for its higher voltage window and excess capacitance. The results suggested that excess capacitance could be attributed to a pseudocapacitance from the reduction/oxidation of SiWA. This potential tracking method can also be utilized to exploit a charge storage mechanism of other asymmetric ECs.

Polyphosphate based electrochemical capacitors

Environmentally friendly electrochemical capacitors (ECs) were assembled using hybrid materials formed by a polyphosphate gel matrix in which carbon-based materials were inserted and polyaniline were formed in a single-step synthesis. The hybrid materials were deposited on FTO glasses and symmetric ECs were assembled using a cellulose membrane soaked with an aqueous NaH 2PO 4 solution as a separator. The capacitance values were calculated from impedance spectroscopy and galvanostatic charge/discharge measurements. The devices showed capacitances ranging from 4.0 to 27.0 F cm −3, which are comparable to some commercial devices. Better results were achieved in samples with polyaniline, which were ascribed to the pseudocapacitance impaired to the samples by the conducting polymer.

Mathematical functions for optimisation of conducting polymer/activated carbon asymmetric supercapacitors

Equations routinely used to describe the properties of conventional symmetric electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) are expanded to develop straightforward mathematical functions that can effectively describe the performance characteristics of asymmetric supercapacitors based on electrically conducting polymer and activated carbon (ECP–AC) electrodes. Formulae are developed to describe cell parameters (based on total active material mass) such as maximum specific capacitance (F g −1), maximum specific energy (Wh kg −1), and optimum electrode mass ratios that can be used for maximising the specific energy of asymmetric cells. The electrode mass ratios are found to have a significant impact on the swing voltages across the positive and negative electrodes. Illustrative EDLC and ECP–AC devices are explored and employed to verify the derived equations that serve to predict essential parameters of both symmetric and asymmetric systems, irrespective of electrolyte ion concentration, solvent or species and independent of voltage. The utility of the equations is demonstrated by predicting cell parameters for a number of theoretical asymmetric ECP–AC systems and used to correlate experimentally obtained parameters.

High-voltage aqueous symmetric electrochemical capacitor based on Ru0.7Sn0.3O2·nH2O electrodes in 1 M KOH

A mild hydrothermal process is applied to synthesize hydrous ruthenium–tin binary oxides (Ru0.7Sn0.3O2·nH2O) with good capacitive performance in alkaline system. Then, a symmetric electrochemical capacitor (EC) is fabricated based on the as-synthesized Ru0.7Sn0.3O2·nH2O material and 1 M KOH aqueous electrolyte. Electrochemical performance of the symmetric EC is investigated by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge–discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests. Electrochemical tests demonstrate that the symmetric EC surprisingly can operate with a high upper cell voltage limit of 1.45 V in 1 M KOH electrolyte. Maximum specific capacitance and energy density of the symmetric aqueous EC are approximately 160 F/g and 21 Wh/kg, respectively, delivered at a current density of 1.25 A/g. And the specific energy density decreases to approximately 15 Wh/kg when the specific power density increases up to approximately 1,770 W/kg. The promising specific energy and power densities are obtained simultaneously for the unwonted symmetric EC due to its larger operating potential range. Moreover, the symmetric EC exhibits electrochemical stability with 85.2% of the initial capacitance over consecutive 1,000 cycle numbers.