The ability to store energy for later use is critical to the development of green energy sources. Batteries (specifically Li ion cells) are the dominant technology for electrical energy storage, with a large capacity, but low charge and discharge rates and much shorter effective lifetimes in comparison to supercapacitor technology. Supercapacitors, though, do not hold as much charge. Capacity can be increased in supercapacitors utilizing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as electrode material in an electric double layer system through the CNTs’ significant specific surface area, but aggregation of the CNTs reduces the ion accessible surface area. Our research has designed molecular spacers to bind to and intercalate between the CNTs to prevent aggregation while providing an electrically conductive network between the CNTs. Synthesis and characterization of a ligand featuring two ferrocenyl moieties and a phenol ring (38% yield) from which two complexes have been produced will be presented; the synthesis and characterization of a novel molecule which adds two additional phenol groups for increased binding will also be presented; and electrochemical characterization of thin films of these compounds intercalated as molecular spacers into nanostructured carbon materials will also be presented, including: cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data. The presentation will show the effect of the molecular spacer on the specific capacitance, energy and power of these thin film electrical energy storage devices.

Molecular spacing of nanostructured carbon materials for energy storage: Synthesis and characterization

2019 Spring National Meeting

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