Next Generation Conventional and Micro Supercapacitors based on Functionalized Graphene Quantum Dots

几十年来，加拿大在清洁能源转换和储存技术方面一直处于国际领先地位。2014年，加拿大在国内新的清洁能源发电*项目上的投资位居世界第六。在建立新的和更绿色的能源的全球竞赛中，超级电容器和微型超级电容器受到了相当大的兴趣。它们在电动汽车、备用电源和移动小型化电子设备中的应用凸显了它们成为重要电源的潜力。然而，目前较高的成本和相对较低的能量密度阻碍和限制了更广泛的应用。因此，这项为期5年的研究计划的主要目标是设计和合成基于石墨烯量子点(GQD)的下一代电极和电解液材料，精确控制其组成，表面功能化，以及为开发具有高能量和功率密度以及长循环寿命的高性能超级电容器和微型超级电容器而制造。近年来，GQD在电化学能量体系中的应用引起了人们的关注，这不仅是因为石墨烯的优异性能，也是因为量子限制效应和边缘效应。在拟议的研究中，将遵循四项主要任务，并相互关联，以充分实现这一计划的目标。首先，将采用各种化学方法来控制和扩大GQD及其衍生物的生产。在第二个任务中，将对用作高性能电极的GQD进行分子官能化；在第三个任务中，将致力于开发基于GQD的固体电解质；在任务4中，将通过多种物理化学和电化学表征技术来研究任务1、2和3中合成的GQD的独特的表面、电子和结构性质以及电化学性能。最后，在任务5中，将用优化的基于GQD的电极和电解液制造常规和小型化超级电容器，并将测试它们的实际性能，并将其与任务3相关联以进行进一步优化。*预计拟议的研究结果将提供所需的潜在突破，通过性能改进使超级电容器系统成为商业上可行的技术，包括耐用性和储能效率。拟议中的HQP研究和培训的成功将有助于加拿大清洁能源和纳米技术行业迫切需要的技术和商业活动以及企业，因此加拿大将在这两项快节奏新兴技术方面保持国际领先地位，从而促进以知识为基础的加拿大经济的发展。

For decades, Canada has enjoyed a significant lead in clean energy conversion and storage technologies internationally. In 2014, Canada ranked sixth in the world for investment in new domestic clean energy generation*programs. In the global race to establish new and greener sources of energy, supercapacitors and micro-supercapacitors have been receiving considerable interest. Their applications in electric vehicles, backup power and mobile miniaturized electronic devices highlights their potential to become an important power source. However, the current high cost and relative low energy density is prohibiting and limiting any wider applications.******* Thus, the main objectives for this 5-year proposed research program are the design and synthesis of next generation electrode and electrolyte materials, based on graphene quantum dots (GQDs), with a precise control of their compositions, surface functionalization, and fabrication for the development of high-performance supercapacitors and micro-supercapacitors with large energy and power densities as well as a long cycle life. GQDs have attracted attention recently for being applied in electrochemical energy systems that is not only due to the excellent performance of graphene, but also attributed to the quantum confinement and edge effects. In the proposed research, four main tasks will be followed and correlated to each other in order to fully achieve the objectives of this program. First, various chemical methods will be employed to control and scale up of the production of GQDs and the derivatives. In the second task, molecular functionalization will be performed on GQDs to be used as high performance electrodes; Thirdly in task 3, some amount of effort will be devoted to develop GQDs based solid electrolytes; In task 4, the distinct surface, electronic and structural properties and electrochemical performance of the synthesized GQDs in Task 1, 2 and 3 will be investigated by several physicochemical and electrochemical characterization techniques. Finally, in Task 5 conventional and miniaturized supercapacitors will be fabricated from optimized GQD-based electrodes and electrolytes and their practical performance will be tested and correlated to Task 3 for further optimization.******* It is expected that the results of the proposed research will provide a potential breakthrough needed in the effort to make supercapacitor systems a commercially viable technology through performance improvement, including durability, and energy storage efficiency. The success of the proposed research and training of HQPs will contribute to the highly needed technology and business activities and enterprises of Canadian clean energy and nanotechnology industries, so Canada will remain an international leader in these two fast paced emerging technologies, thus contributing to the development of a knowledge-based Canadian economy.******************