Carbon-Based Supercapacitors Produced by Activation of Graphene

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 332; no. 6037; pp. 1537 - 1541
• Main Authors: Zhu, Yanwu, Murali, Shanthi, Stoller, Meryl D., Ganesh, K. J., Cai, Weiwei, Ferreira, Paulo J., Pirkle, Adam, Wallace, Robert M., Cychosz, Katie A., Thommes, Matthias, Su, Dong, Stach, Eric A., Ruoff, Rodney S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 24.06.2011; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: 08 HYDROGEN; Activation; Applied sciences; Batteries; CAPACITANCE; CAPACITORS; Capacitors. Resistors. Filters; CARBON; CHEMICAL ACTIVATION; Current density; Density; Dielectric, amorphous and glass solid devices; Direct energy conversion and energy accumulation; Electric charge; ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY; electrical conductivity; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; electrical equipment; Electrical power engineering; Electrochemical capacitors; Electrochemistry; Electrodes; ELECTROLYTES; Electronics; energy; Energy accumulation; ENERGY DENSITY; ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY AND ECONOMY; ENERGY STORAGE; Exact sciences and technology; Fabrication; Flux density; functional nanomaterials; Graphene; graphene oxide; GRAPHITE; HYDROGEN; ionic liquids; Materials; METERS; Microwaves; MOLTEN SALTS; Nitrogen; OXYGEN; Pores; Porosity; Scientific Concepts; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Supercapacitors; Superconductivity; SURFACE AREA; ultracapacitor; Various equipment and components; Electrical conductivity; Scalability; Electrolytic capacitor; Electrode material; Porous material; Ionic liquid; Chemical activation; Graphene; Manufacturing process; Recording density; Graphite; Supercapacitor; Capacitance; Zero band gap semiconductors; Surface area; Energy storage
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1200770

Supercapacitors, also called ultracapacitors or electrochemical capacitors, store electrical charge on high-surface-area conducting materials. Their widespread use is limited by their low energy storage density and relatively high effective series resistance. Using chemical activation of exfoliated graphite oxide, we synthesized a porous carbon with a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area of up to 3100 square meters per gram, a high electrical conductivity, and a low oxygen and hydrogen content. This sp 2 -bonded carbon has a continuous three-dimensional network of highly curved, atom-thick walls that form primarily 0.6- to 5-nanometer-width pores. Two-electrode supercapacitor cells constructed with this carbon yielded high values of gravimetric capacitance and energy density with organic and ionic liquid electrolytes. The processes used to make this carbon are readily scalable to industrial levels.