TY - CHAP
T1 - Fundamentals of capacitive charge storage in carbon-based supercapacitors
AU - Pak, Alexander J.
AU - Hwang, Gyeong S.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Supercapacitors are electrochemical energy storage devices known for their large power densities and long lifetimes yet limited energy densities. A conventional understanding of supercapacitors relates the high power to fast ion accumulation at the polarized electrode interface, forming the so-called electric double layer (EDL), and the low energy to limited electrode surface area (SA). As such, carbon-based nanomaterials have been extensively explored as high SA electrode materials. Interestingly, anomalous and nonlinear relationships between observed capacitances and SAs have recently emerged. These observations suggest that a gap exists in our fundamental understanding of charge storage mechanisms due to the introduction of low-dimensional materials. In this chapter, we review new physical insights from both quantum mechanical calculations and atomistic simulations of two broad types of carbon-based nanomaterials. First, the study of graphene-derived materials has highlighted the importance of competing contributions from the electrode and EDL capacitance. Furthermore, the study of nanoporous carbons has elucidated the importance of charging dynamics. Taken together, these findings can be generalized to establish design principles for future electrode materials.
AB - Supercapacitors are electrochemical energy storage devices known for their large power densities and long lifetimes yet limited energy densities. A conventional understanding of supercapacitors relates the high power to fast ion accumulation at the polarized electrode interface, forming the so-called electric double layer (EDL), and the low energy to limited electrode surface area (SA). As such, carbon-based nanomaterials have been extensively explored as high SA electrode materials. Interestingly, anomalous and nonlinear relationships between observed capacitances and SAs have recently emerged. These observations suggest that a gap exists in our fundamental understanding of charge storage mechanisms due to the introduction of low-dimensional materials. In this chapter, we review new physical insights from both quantum mechanical calculations and atomistic simulations of two broad types of carbon-based nanomaterials. First, the study of graphene-derived materials has highlighted the importance of competing contributions from the electrode and EDL capacitance. Furthermore, the study of nanoporous carbons has elucidated the importance of charging dynamics. Taken together, these findings can be generalized to establish design principles for future electrode materials.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85101181276&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/978-3-030-18778-1_24
DO - 10.1007/978-3-030-18778-1_24
M3 - Chapter
AN - SCOPUS:85101181276
T3 - Springer Series in Materials Science
SP - 559
EP - 586
BT - Springer Series in Materials Science
PB - Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
ER -