ACT/SGER: Block Copolymer Self-Assembled Nanoarchitectures For Flexible High Energy Density Supercapacitors

本研究的目的是探索基于嵌段共聚物自组装的新型聚合物纳米级脉冲功率电容器柔性薄膜。柔性脉冲功率电容器系统将表现出层状或圆柱形的微相分离，电极和聚合物电解质作为A和B块。A嵌段（氧化还原钴氧化物或p掺杂导电聚合物）形成高表面积电极材料，而B嵌段（磺化聚苯乙烯或磺化聚苯乙烯）是电解质。将合成的嵌段共聚物从溶剂中浇铸出来，得到自组装的A/B纳米结构，这相当于并联的任何纳米电容器单元，从而提供最大可能的功率。各种微结构和电性能表征工具将被用来评估柔性脉冲功率电容器系统的性能。 提议的探索性研究的更广泛影响涉及嵌段共聚物纳米电容器装置系统，该装置系统将是灵活的，因为它是由聚合物制成的，并且由于其形态的纳米尺度而不受可见光的影响。聚合物电解质的易加工性将允许生产薄膜纳米级自组装柔性脉冲功率电容器，这种电容器可以缠绕成线圈或加工成涂层和薄片。基于嵌段共聚物纳米级自组装的脉冲功率电容器将提供具有集成电子器件的设备，但作为独立的柔性薄膜或涂层分布在大面积衬底上。有源电路元件直接集成在柔性基板上，这种超级电容系统可应用于定向能武器部件的功率调节。因此，所提出的纳米级脉冲功率电容器系统有望为所有电动船舶或飞机的自主供电开辟新途径，从而有助于增强国土安全能力。在这项工作中开展的教育活动包括本科生和研究生教学，中学教师培训，研究生咨询，以及本科生参与研究和指导的各种机会。

The goal of the proposed exploratory research is to investigate novel polymeric nanoscale pulsedpower capacitor flexible thin films based on the self-assembly of block copolymers. The flexiblepulsed power capacitor system would exhibit a lamellar or cylindrical microphase separation, withelectrode, and polymeric electrolyte as the A and B blocks. The A block (redox cobalt oxideor p-doped conductive polymer) forms the high surface area electrode material, and the B block(sulfonated polynorbornene or sulfonated polystyrene) is the electrolyte. Casting of the synthesizedblock copolymer from a solvent results in a self-assembled A/B nanostructure, which is equivalent tomany nanoscale capacitor cells in parallel, thus providing the maximum possible power. A varietyof microstructure and electrical properties characterization tools will be employed to evaluate theflexible pulsed power capacitor system's performance. The broader impacts of the proposed exploratory research relate to a block copolymer nanoscalecapacitor device system which would be flexible because it is made out of a polymer, and transparentto visible light due to the nanoscale dimensions of its morphology. The ease of processing apolymer electrolyte would allow the production of thin film nanoscale self-assembled flexible pulsedpower capacitors that could be wound into coils or processed as coatings and sheets. A pulsedpower capacitor based on the nanoscale self-assembly of block copolymers will provide devices withintegrated electronics, yet distributed over a large area substrate as freestanding flexible films orcoatings. The active circuit components would be directly integrated on the flexible substrate.Such supercapacitor system could be applied in power conditioning for directed energy weaponcomponents. The proposed nanoscale pulsed power capacitor system thus promises to open newavenues for autonomous power of the all electric ships or airplanes and thus helping enhancehomeland security capabilities. The education activities to be undertaken in this work includeundergraduate and graduate teaching, middle school teacher training, graduate student advising,and various opportunities in undergraduate research involvement and mentoring.