In the following investigation, various combinations of electrolytes and carbon-based electrodes were tested with a rapid preparation process to find optimal performance for a supercapacitor. Three different electrodes were tested: a mixture of Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) and Graphene Nanoplatelets (GNP), a bilayer of an Activated Carbon (AC) active layer on top of a CNT adhesive layer, and finally a bilayer of an AC active layer on top of a Graphite adhesive layer. All three of these electrodes were tested with two different electrolytes both consisting of Tetraethylammonium Tetrafluoroborate (TEABF4) as the solute but differing solvents, one being Diethyl Carbonate and Ethyl Carbonate (DECEC) and the other being Acetonitrile (AN). Each supercapacitor cell underwent three tests of their ability, Electronic Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), and Cyclic Charge and Discharge (CCD). Our testing showed the optimal combination to be the cell containing AN for the electrolyte and CNT and AC for the electrode, as it displayed the highest specific capacitance, lowest self-discharge, a very low Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR), and a relatively high voltage. Our research demonstrates the viability of a bilayer electrode while also showing the potential of a rapid preparation process.<br/><br/>Further research was then conducted utilizing this optimized combination by testing the effects of multiple double-coated electrodes in a single cell in order to try and increase the relatively low energy density of supercapacitors. Multiple electrodes are the equivalent of connecting supercapacitors in series, thus allowing for a higher voltage and therefore energy density but at the expense of capacitance. This was done by creating a cell with AN as the electrolyte and multiple AC/CNT electrodes, as this combination of electrode and electrolyte had demonstrated relatively high voltage in the prior testing, and then running the cell through EIS, CV, and CCD. Our results revealed not only a higher voltage, but also a previously undiscovered phenomena: the voltage drop is not evenly distributed between the electrodes, resulting in a higher capacitance than was theoretically calculated. Thus, our research demonstrates that multiple electrode based supercapacitors can yield not only a higher energy density that may be comparable to batteries, but also have a higher capacitance than originally thought possible.

Study and optimization of high voltage carbon-based supercapacitors in organic electrolytes

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.