Collaborative Research: Manufacturing Deformable Energy Storage Devices from Carbon Nanotube Macro-Films

本研究项目旨在探索制造基于碳纳米管宏观薄膜的可变形超级电容器的新概念，这是一种重量轻，可变形，同时具有非常高的能量和功率密度的多功能储能装置。在此基础上，研究了具有可控取向的独立碳纳米管宏观薄膜的制备和二维碳纳米管宏观薄膜的机械-电-电化学耦合。机械屈曲工艺将用于制造屈曲碳纳米管宏观薄膜作为超级电容器电极，该薄膜具有极高的可变形性和高电子导电性，可以消除超级电容器中的集流器，从而大大降低电池重量，从而提高能量密度。屈曲碳纳米管宏观薄膜将用于组装可变形超级电容器，这将得到深入的研究。实验和理论研究相结合的方法将使人们更好地理解可变形碳纳米管超级电容器的制造-结构-性能-功能，并对材料加工工程原理有一个大致的了解。该项目将为柔性基板上碳纳米管宏观薄膜的设计和制造提供一种新的方法和技术，并在具有极高可变形性的超级电容器的最新加工和制造方面取得突破。两所研究机构（特拉华大学和亚利桑那州立大学）将建立综合、互动和合作的研究和教育项目。参与拟议研究的研究生和本科生将通过多学科和多大学的环境进行培训。研究成果将用于发展/加强本科和研究生课程。创新？可伸缩的图书馆吗?为K-16学生提供服务。

This research project aims at investigating a new concept of manufacturing carbon nanotube macro-film-based deformable supercapacitors, versatile energy storage devices that are light-weight, deformable and at the same time exhibit very high energy and power density. Fundamentals on fabrication of the free-standing carbon nanotube macro-films with controllable alignment and on mechanical-electrical-electrochemical coupling of the two-dimensional carbon nanotube macro-films are expectedly understood. Mechanical buckling processes will be employed to make buckled carbon nanotube macro-films as supercapacitor electrodes which will have extreme deformability and high electronic conductivity that may allow the elimination of current collectors in a supercapacitor, therefore greatly reducing the cell weight and hence improving the energy density. The buckled carbon nanotube macro-films will be utilized to assemble deformable supercapacitors which will be thoroughly investigated. The combined approach of experimental and theoretical studies will enable an improved understanding of the manufacturing-structure-property-function of the deformable carbon nanotube supercapacitors and a general understanding of principles of materials processing engineering. The proposed project will provide a new methodology and technique for the design and fabrication of carbon nanotube macro-film on compliant substrates, as well as lead to breakthroughs in state-of-the-art processing and fabrication of supercapacitor with extremely high deformability. Integrated, interactive and collaborative research and educational programs in two research institutions (Univ. Delaware and Arizona State Univ.) will be established. The graduate and undergraduate students involved in the proposed research will be trained through a multidisciplinary and multi-university environment. The research achievement will be used to develop/enhance both undergraduate and graduate courses. An innovative ?Stretchable Library? will be established to reach out to K-16 students.