What is Super about Supercapacitors?

Abstract : Nano-structured hybrid materials have attracted much attention recently due to the possibility of tailoring their dimensionality to facilitate a change in their fundamental properties including redox potential, conductivity and charge storage in comparison with similar behavior of their bulk analogues. For example, the electron-transfer behavior of monolayer protected gold and silver nanoclusters have been found to vary dramatically with size. Similarly, the insertion of conducting polymers in layered host materials and other structurally organized environments can result organic-inorganic nanostructures with novel electrical, structural, and mechanical properties. Such systems can potentially show hybrid properties synergistically derived from both the host and the guest which could be profitably utilized for energy storage applications.

In the past, several nanostructured materials like carbon nanotubes (single walled as well as multiwalled types), ruthenium oxide functionalized carbon nanotubes and conducting polymer based nanostructured composites have been used to prepare excellent supercapacitor electrodes. Nevertheless, limited cycle life and high equivalent series resistance undermine the full utilization of these materials and new carbon nanotube based composites are needed to solve some of these challenges for facilitating the fabrication of high performance supercapacitor electrodes. As a part of our continuing quest for preparing hybrid materials with novel or enhanced properties, this lecture will discuss the application of these novel organo-inorganic structures as electrodes for supercapacitors.

References:

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