High-performance quasi-solid-state zinc-ion capacitors coupling carbonaceous electrodes with eutectic hydrogel electrolytes

锌离子电容器是一种新型的电网储能技术，具有能量密度高、功率密度高、循环寿命长、成本低等优点。然而，由于所使用的碳材料和水溶液的结构和性能的限制，最先进的锌离子电容器存在存储容量低和循环性能差的问题。为了应对这一挑战，加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚大学的刘健博士和德国帕德伯恩大学的尼维斯·L-萨拉斯博士的团队提议将新型碳质电极与共晶水凝胶电解质相结合，以开发能够显著提高能量和功率密度并延长寿命的新一代锌离子电容器。这一国际合作将利用材料科学和储能技术方面的专业知识来加快锌离子电容器的开发。该项目的成功将开发一种新的能源储存设备，用于整合到电网中，加快清洁能源过渡，并为加拿大清洁能源部门培养未来高素质的人才。

Zinc-ion capacitors are new energy storage technology for grid applications and have great potential for high energy and power density, ultralong cycling lifetime, and low cost. However, state-of-the-art zinc-ion capacitors present low storage capacity and poor cycling performance due to structure and property limitations in carbon materials and aqueous electrolytes used. To address this challenge, Dr. Jian Liu's team at the University of British Columbia (Canada) and Dr. Nieves López-Salas's team at Paderborn University (Germany) propose to couple novel carbonaceous electrodes with eutectic hydrogel electrolytes to develop new-generation zinc-ion capacitors with significantly improved energy and power density and lifetime. This international collaboration will leverage expertise in materials science and energy storage technology to accelerate the development of zinc-ion capacitors. The success of the project will develop a new energy storage device for integration into the grid, accelerate the clean-energy transition, and train future highly qualified personnel for the clean-energy sector in Canada.