Chemistry Seminar – William McLeod

About the event

Title: Recent Advancements in Electrode Materials for Supercapacitors

Abstract: As global energy demands increase, new forms of energy storage are required for both short- and long-term storage applications. Electrochemical energy storage systems (i.e. batteries, fuel cells, and supercapacitors) are of great appeal for versatility and ease of use. Supercapacitors in particular are useful for their extremely high charging and discharging rates, but they are limited by poor energy density (energy stored per unit weight of device). Efforts to increase the energy density of supercapacitors primarily focus on widening the operating voltage window by altering the electrolyte, increasing the surface area of the electrodes through porosity, or increasing the conductivity of the electrodes by deposition of a highly conductive substrate. This literature review highlights recent trends in the surface modification of supercapacitor electrodes, focusing on (i) electrochemical activation (to increase surface porosity) and (ii) electrodeposition of conductive layers, for the fabrication of supercapacitors with greater energy storage capabilities.