Linking physical and chemical properties of Elcora graphene to supercapacitor performance

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This Engage grant will initiate a collaboration between Elcora Advanced Materials (Halifax, Nova Scotia) and**Dr. Heather Andreas (Chemistry, Dalhousie University) with a focus on translating Elcora's high-quality**graphene into an electrode material for supercapacitors (identified by Elcora as a new and important potential**application for their materials). Supercapacitors are energy storage systems used when an almost instantaneous**power response is needed (e.g. deployment of air-bags or airplane emergency chutes). To understand and**evaluate Elcora's graphene in supercapacitors requires knowledge of the graphene's structure, porosity,**reactivity and chemistry, and Dr. Andreas is an expert in relating carbon's physical and chemical properties to**supercapacitor performance.**The Andreas lab will evaluate Elcora's graphene as a supercapacitor electrode material and provide Elcora**with a deeper understanding of their material and its performance. They will also identify the origin of any**limitations (structural and/or chemical) and then help design and test graphene modifications to minimize these**limitations. Graphene modifications will likely extend into future collaborations and collaborative research**grants. Using Elcora's high-quality graphene will allow Andreas to expand the fundamental knowledge of the**links between carbon characteristics and energy storage; manuscripts will be submitted to appropriate scientific**journals.**The project will help Elcora Advanced Materials to better understand and commercialize their graphene**materials for supercapacitors. This will be achieved through evaluations of all important parameters for**supercapacitor use. Dr. Andreas' research will be boosted by having access to high-quality, very-controlled and**well-understood graphene to gain a fundamental understanding of how charge is stored on, and moves through,**these materials.