Improving supercapacitor charge storage

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Supercapacitors are energy storage systems that are similar to batteries but are used when short high-intensity bursts of power are required, e.g. airbag deployment or camera flashes. My proposed research program capitalizes on my expertise in electrochemistry and supercapacitors to increase the amount of charge stored by a supercapacitor and increase the time the supercapacitor can store charge. Using environmentally-friendly supercapacitor materials we will generate fundamental understanding of how supercapacitors lose charge (i.e. self-discharge). Our long-term research goals will: (i) enable supercapacitors to hold charge for longer times; and (ii) result in an innovative electrode design which holds more charge, without sacrificing the supercapacitor’s rapid response. Success in this program will lessen the need for frequent device recharging and reduce wasted energy, thereby enhancing supercapacitor performance in consumer devices.