Achieving a Supercapacitor Through the 'Molecular Coating' Approach
The date of：
2024-09-06
viewed:
0
Researchers at Tohoku University have successfully increased the capacity, lifetime durability, and cost-effectiveness of a capacitor in their pursuit of a more power-efficient future. A capacitor is a device used as part of a circuit that can store and release energy, just like a battery. What makes a capacitor different from a battery is that it takes much less time to charge. For example, your cellphone battery will power your phone instantly, but charging that battery back up to 100% when it dies is far from instantaneous.While this makes capacitors sound like the superior choice, they have some big drawbacks that need to be overcome. Firstly, their capacity is much smaller than batteries, so they cannot store large amounts of energy at once. Secondly, they can be quite expensive. In recent years, supercapacitors (capacitors with increased capacity and performance) have been developed using nanocarbon materials, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which increase the surface area and overall capacity. However, due to the expensive nature of nanocarbon materials, large-scale production using this technique is not cost-effective.In order to tackle these specific concerns to improve the overall performance of capacitors, a research group consisting of Professor Hiroshi Yabu (Tohoku University), AZUL Energy Co., Ltd. (a venture company from Tohoku University), and the AZUL Energy x Tohoku University Bio-Inspired GX Co-Creation Center was formed. Their findings were published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces On June 20, 2024.The team succeeded in increasing the capacity of capacitors by 2.4 times (to 907 F/gAC) compared to carbon alone by "sprinkling" iron azaphthalocyanine (FeAzPc-4N), a type of blue pigment, onto activated carbon. This method allows the molecule to adsorb at the molecular level, utilizing its redox capabilities. Additionally, the study demonstrated that 20,000 charge-discharge cycles are possible even in high-load regions of 20 A/gAC, making it feasible to power LEDs."This increased lifespan compared to batteries may help reduce waste, as the same capacitor can be reused many more times," comments Yabu, "The components of capacitors are also significantly less toxic than batThe capacitor electrode developed in this research can increase capacity to the level of supercapacitors using CNTs while utilizing commonly available and inexpensive activated carbon, making it a potential option for next-generation energy devices. What's the next step for the team after this? To make the supercapacitor even more super-powered.
Hot News
/
Related to recommend
2025
-
05
-
16
Click on the number of times:
1
Correlating Structural Disorder and Pr3+ Emission Dynamics in Lu3Al2.5–xScxGa2.5O12 Crystals: A Comprehensive Structure–Property Investigation 来源：ACS PublicationsThis study explored the influence...
2025
-
05
-
15
Click on the number of times:
1
Prediction and Rationalization of Site Preference of Rare Earth Elements in Fluorapatite from Density Functional Theory 来源：ACS PublicationsFluorapatite (FAp, nominally Ca10(PO4)6F2) has been iden...
2025
-
05
-
14
Click on the number of times:
0
Dialdehyde Chitosan/Semicarbazide Synthesis for Lanthanum, Cerium, and Neodymium Ions Recovery from Phosphate Leachate 来源:ACS PublicationsRare earth elements are among the world’s most cru...
2025
-
05
-
13
Click on the number of times:
0
Combination Diagnostics In Vivo: Dual-Mode Ultrasound/NIR Fluorescence Imaging with Neodymium- and Thulium-Doped Graphene Quantum Dots 来源：ACS PublicationsThe combination of two biomedical imaging...