Advanced hybrid supercapacitor based on a mesoporous niobium pentoxide/carbon as high-performance anode

Graphene-Based Materials for Lithium-Ion Hybrid Supercapacitors

Lithium-ion hybrid supercapacitors (LIHSs), also called Li-ion capacitors, have attracted much attention due to the combination of the rapid charge-discharge and long cycle life of supercapacitors and the high energy-storage capacity of lithium-ion batteries. Thus, LIHSs are expected to become the ultimate power source for hybrid and all-electric vehicles in the near future. As an electrode material, graphene has many advantages, including high surface area and porous structure, high electric conductivity, and high chemical and thermal stability, etc. Compared with other electrode materials, such as activated carbon, graphite, and metal oxides, graphene-based materials with 3D open frameworks show higher effective specific surface area, better control of channels, and higher conductivity, which make them better candidates for LIHS applications. Here, the latest advances in electrode materials for LIHSs are briefly summarized, with an emphasis on graphene-based electrode materials (including 3D graphene networks) for LIHS applications. An outlook is also presented to highlight some future directions.

Facile Synthesis of Nb2O5@Carbon Core-Shell Nanocrystals with Controlled Crystalline Structure for High-Power Anodes in Hybrid Supercapacitors

Hybrid supercapacitors (battery-supercapacitor hybrid devices, HSCs) deliver high energy within seconds (excellent rate capability) with stable cyclability. One of the key limitations in developing high-performance HSCs is imbalance in power capability between the sluggish Faradaic lithium-intercalation anode and rapid non-Faradaic capacitive cathode. To solve this problem, we synthesize Nb2O5@carbon core-shell nanocyrstals (Nb2O5@C NCs) as high-power anode materials with controlled crystalline phases (orthorhombic (T) and pseudohexagonal (TT)) via a facile one-pot synthesis method based on a water-in-oil microemulsion system. The synthesis of ideal T-Nb2O5 for fast Li(+) diffusion is simply achieved by controlling the microemulsion parameter (e.g., pH control). The T-Nb2O5@C NCs shows a reversible specific capacity of ∼180 mA h g(-1) at 0.05 A g(-1) (1.1-3.0 V vs Li/Li(+)) with rapid rate capability compared to that of TT-Nb2O5@C and carbon shell-free Nb2O5 NCs, mainly due to synergistic effects of (i) the structural merit of T-Nb2O5 and (ii) the conductive carbon shell for high electron mobility. The highest energy (∼63 W h kg(-1)) and power (16 528 W kg(-1) achieved at ∼5 W h kg(-1)) densities within the voltage range of 1.0-3.5 V of the HSC using T-Nb2O5@C anode and MSP-20 cathode are remarkable.

Structural Effect on Electrochemical Performance of Ordered Porous Carbon Electrodes for Na-Ion Batteries

Ordered meso- or macro-porous carbons (OMCs) were applied as anodes in Na ion battery (NIB) systems. Three different block copolymers (BCPs) enabled us to control the pore sizes (6, 33, and 60 nm) while maintaining the same 2-D hexagonal structure. To exclude other effects, the factors including precursors, particle sizes, and degrees of graphitization were controlled. The structures of OMCs were characterized by nitrogen physisorption, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray analyses (XRD and SAXS), and microscopies (TEM and SEM). With a galvanostatic charge/discharge, we confirmed that OMC electrode with medium pore size (OMC-33) exhibited a higher reversible capacity of 134 mA h g(-1) (at 20th cycle) and faster rate capability (61% retention, current densities from 50 to 5000 mA g(-1)) than those of OMC-6, and OMC-60 electrodes. The high performance of OMC-33 is attributed to the combined effects of pore size and wall thickness which was supported by charge/discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analyses.

Mesoporous Ge/GeO2/Carbon Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes with High Capacity and High Reversibility

We report mesoporous composite materials (m-GeO2, m-GeO2/C, and m-Ge-GeO2/C) with large pore size which are synthesized by a simple block copolymer directed self-assembly. m-Ge/GeO2/C shows greatly enhanced Coulombic efficiency, high reversible capacity (1631 mA h g(-1)), and stable cycle life compared with the other mesoporous and bulk GeO2 electrodes. m-Ge/GeO2/C exhibits one of the highest areal capacities (1.65 mA h cm(-2)) among previously reported Ge- and GeO2-based anodes. The superior electrochemical performance in m-Ge/GeO2/C arises from the highly improved kinetics of conversion reaction due to the synergistic effects of the mesoporous structures and the conductive carbon and metallic Ge.

On-Chip Micro-Pseudocapacitors for Ultrahigh Energy and Power Delivery

Microscale supercapapcitors based on hierarchical nanoporous hybrid electrodes consisting of 3D bicontinuous nanoporous gold and pseudocapacitive manganese oxide deliver an excellent stack capacitance of 99.1 F cm-3 and a high energy density of 12.7 mW h cm-3 with a retained high power density of 46.6 W cm-3.

Approaching the downsizing limit of silicon for surface-controlled lithium storage

Graphene-sheet-supported uniform ultrasmall (≈3 nm) silicon quantum dots have been successfully synthesized by a simple and effective self-assembly strategy, exhibiting unprecedented fast, surface-controlled lithium-storage behavior and outstanding lithium-storage properties including extraordinary rate capability and remarkable cycling stability, attributable to the intrinsic role of approaching the downsizing limit of silicon.

Directly grown nanostructured electrodes for high volumetric energy density binder-free hybrid supercapacitors: a case study of CNTs//Li4Ti5O12

Hybrid supercapacitor (HSC), which typically consists of a Li-ion battery electrode and an electric double-layer supercapacitor electrode, has been extensively investigated for large-scale applications such as hybrid electric vehicles, etc. Its application potential for thin-film downsized energy storage systems that always prefer high volumetric energy/power densities, however, has not yet been explored. Herein, as a case study, we develop an entirely binder-free HSC by using multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) network film as the cathode and Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ (LTO) nanowire array as the anode and study the volumetricenergy storage capability. Both the electrode materials are grown directly on carbon cloth current collector, ensuring robust mechanical/electrical contacts and flexibility. Our 3 V HSC device exhibits maximum volumetric energy density of ~4.38 mWh cm⁻³, much superior to those of previous supercapacitors based on thin-film electrodes fabricated directly on carbon cloth and even comparable to the commercial thin-film lithium battery. It also has volumetric power densities comparable to that of the commercial 5.5 V/100 mF supercapacitor (can be operated within 3 s) and has excellent cycling stability (~92% retention after 3000 cycles). The concept of utilizing binder-free electrodes to construct HSC for thin-film energy storage may be readily extended to other HSC electrode systems.

Electrospun porous CuCo2O4 nanowire network electrode for asymmetric supercapacitors

A porous network CuCo₂O₄ nanostructure has been fabricated by a simple spinning method, which shows excellent electrochemical performance for asymmetric supercapacitor.

Amorphous carbon layer contributing Li storage capacity to Nb2O5@C nanosheets

The high-capacity of Nb₂O₅ nanosheets has been successfully realized through introducing amorphous carbon layers, which have been demonstrated to have a large capacity owing to the existence of defects on amorphous carbon layers.

Fast lithium-ion storage of Nb2O5 nanocrystals in situ grown on carbon nanotubes for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors

Nanocomposites of Nb₂O₅ NCs in situ grown on CNTs are successfully developed with excellent rate capability, leading to the successful fabrication of asymmetric supercapacitors with high energy and power density and long-term cycling stability.