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

本研究项目旨在探索一种新的制造碳纳米管巨厚膜可变形超级电容器的新概念，它是一种重量轻、可变形、同时具有非常高的能量和功率密度的多功能储能器件。可望了解可控制取向的自支撑碳纳米管宏膜的制备和二维碳纳米管宏膜的机械-电-电化学耦合的基本原理。采用机械屈曲工艺制作弯曲的碳纳米管巨型薄膜作为超级电容器电极，它将具有极高的变形性和高的电子电导率，从而可以消除超级电容器中的集流体，从而大大减轻电池的重量，从而提高能量密度。弯曲的碳纳米管宏观薄膜将被用来组装可变形的超级电容器，这将得到深入的研究。实验和理论研究相结合的方法将有助于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，以及对材料加工工程原理的一般理解。该项目将为在柔性衬底上设计和制备碳纳米管巨型薄膜提供一种新的方法和技术，并将在具有极高变形能力的超级电容器的最新工艺和制造方面取得突破。两个研究机构(大学)的综合、互动和协作的研究和教育方案特拉华和亚利桑那州立大学)将会建立起来。参与拟议研究的研究生和本科生将通过多学科和多大学环境接受培训。研究成果将用于发展/加强本科生和研究生课程。创新的？可伸缩的图书馆？将建立与K-16岁学生接触的机构。

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.