Ethylene carbonate-based organic electrolytes for electric double layer capacitors

Li-Nafion Membrane Plasticised with Ethylene Carbonate/Sulfolane: Influence of Mixing Temperature on the Physicochemical Properties

The use of dipolar aprotic solvents to swell lithiated Nafion ionomer membranes simultaneously serving as electrolyte and separator is of great interest for lithium battery applications. This work attempts to gain an insight into the physicochemical nature of a Li-Nafion ionomer material whose phase-separated nanostructure has been enhanced with a binary plasticiser comprising non-volatile high-boiling ethylene carbonate (EC) and sulfolane (SL). Gravimetric studies evaluating the influence both of mixing temperature (25 to 80 °C) and plasticiser composition (EC/SL ratio) on the solvent uptake of Li-Nafion revealed a hysteresis between heating and cooling modes. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) revealed that the saturation of a Nafion membrane with such a plasticiser led to a re-organisation of its amorphous structure, with crystalline regions remaining practically unchanged. Regardless of mixing temperature, the preservation of crystallites upon swelling is critical due to ionomer crosslinking provided by crystalline regions, which ensures membrane integrity even at very high solvent uptake (≈200% at a mixing temperature of 80 °C). The physicochemical properties of a swollen membrane have much in common with those of a chemically crosslinked polymer gel. The conductivity of ≈10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ demonstrated by Li-Nafion membranes saturated with EC/SL at room temperature is promising for various practical applications.

Ionic Liquids as Electrolytes for Electrochemical Double-Layer Capacitors: Structures that Optimize Specific Energy

Key parameters that influence the specific energy of electrochemical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) are the double-layer capacitance and the operating potential of the cell. The operating potential of the cell is generally limited by the electrochemical window of the electrolyte solution, that is, the range of applied voltages within which the electrolyte or solvent is not reduced or oxidized. Ionic liquids are of interest as electrolytes for EDLCs because they offer relatively wide potential windows. Here, we provide a systematic study of the influence of the physical properties of ionic liquid electrolytes on the electrochemical stability and electrochemical performance (double-layer capacitance, specific energy) of EDLCs that employ a mesoporous carbon model electrode with uniform, highly interconnected mesopores (3DOm carbon). Several ionic liquids with structurally diverse anions (tetrafluoroborate, trifluoromethanesulfonate, trifluoromethanesulfonimide) and cations (imidazolium, ammonium, pyridinium, piperidinium, and pyrrolidinium) were investigated. We show that the cation size has a significant effect on the electrolyte viscosity and conductivity, as well as the capacitance of EDLCs. Imidazolium- and pyridinium-based ionic liquids provide the highest cell capacitance, and ammonium-based ionic liquids offer potential windows much larger than imidazolium and pyridinium ionic liquids. Increasing the chain length of the alkyl substituents in 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonimide does not widen the potential window of the ionic liquid. We identified the ionic liquids that maximize the specific energies of EDLCs through the combined effects of their potential windows and the double-layer capacitance. The highest specific energies are obtained with ionic liquid electrolytes that possess moderate electrochemical stability, small ionic volumes, low viscosity, and hence high conductivity, the best performing ionic liquid tested being 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide.

High-Temperature All Solid-State Microsupercapacitors based on SiC Nanowire Electrode and YSZ Electrolyte

We demonstrate a symmetric supercapacitor by using yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) as the electrolyte and silicon carbide nanowires (SiC NWs) as the electrode. The stacked symmetric SiC NWs/YSZ/SiC NWs supercapacitors exhibit excellent thermal stability and high areal capacitance at temperatures above 300 °C. The supercapacitor functions well at a record high temperature of 450 °C, yielding an areal capacitance of 92 μF cm(-2) at a voltage scan rate of 100 mV s(-1). At this temperature, it is also capable of withstanding current densities up to 50 μA cm(-2), yielding a maximum areal power density of 100 μW cm(-2). Good cycling stability is demonstrated with a capacitance retention of over 60% after 10,000 cycles at the operation temperature of 450 °C and a scan rate of 200 mV s(-1).

Adsorption of primary substituted hydrocarbons onto solid gallium substrates

Adsorption of a series of primary substituted hydrocarbons (RX; C18H37PO(OH)2 (ODPA), C17H35COOH, C18H37OH, C18H37NH2, and C18H37SH) onto solid gallium substrates with and without UV/ozone treatment was studied using contact angle goniometry, spectroscopic ellipsometry, and cyclic voltammetry (CV). UV/ozone treatment offered a hydrophilic surface (water contact angle (θ(water)) less than 10°), reflecting the formation of a surface oxide layer with the maximum thickness of ca. 1 nm and possibly the removal of surface contaminants. Upon immersion in a toluene solution of a RX, θ(water) increased due to adsorption of the RX onto gallium substrates. In particular, UV/ozone-treated gallium substrates (UV-Ga) immersed in an ODPA solution exhibited θ(water) close to 105°. The ellipsometric thickness of the adsorbed ODPA layer was ca. 2.4 nm, and CV data measured in an acetonitrile solution showed significant inhibition of redox reaction on the substrate surface. These results indicate the formation of a densely packed ODPA monolayer on UV-Ga. The coverage of a C17H35COOH layer adsorbed onto UV-Ga was lower, as shown by smaller θ(water) (ca. 99°), smaller ellipsometric thickness (ca. 1.3 nm), and smaller electrode reaction inhibition. Adsorption of the other RX onto UV-Ga was weaker, as indicated by smaller θ(water) (82°-92°). ODPA did not strongly adsorb onto UV-untreated gallium substrates, suggesting that the ODPA adsorption mainly originates from hydrogen bond interaction of a phosphonate group with surface oxide. These results will provide a means for controlling the surface properties of oxide-coated gallium that play an essential role in monolayer conductivity measurements and electroanalytical applications.