SBIR Phase II: Microporous Carbons with Aligned Pores for Supercapacitors

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目旨在开发具有排列孔的新型多孔碳材料，用于电双层电容器（edlc）。这些设备服务于多种应用，如智能电网、混合动力汽车、节能工业设备和个人电子产品。传统的edlc在电位作用下通过吸附活性炭电极内表面的有机电解质离子来存储能量。它们通常需要10到100秒来充电或放电。这种电荷率受到活性炭弯曲孔内离子扩散的限制。然而，越来越多的脉冲功率应用通常只需要1-10秒的电流提升。因此，这些应用将利用传统edlc的一小部分能量存储能力，这大大增加了能量存储系统的总重量和成本，减缓了技术的采用。在此，我们提出了一种创新的低成本材料合成路线，用于形成多孔碳，具有精细控制的微观结构，可调节的孔径，高表面积，最重要的是，具有快速离子传输和高功率密度的排列微孔。这些材料提供了快速充电速率和高比电容的组合。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是EDLC技术的显著改进和成本的降低。与二次电池不同，edlc具有更高的比功率，出色的循环寿命和大大提高的安全性。在运输和工业设备中使用edlc可以大大减少能源消耗和温室气体排放。它们在电网中的应用将使风能和太阳能等多种可再生能源技术更加经济。如果edlc能够以更低的成本生产，或者能够进一步提高性能，那么这项重要技术的采用率可能会大大提高。这些设备的特性与活性炭电极的成本和性能有关。不幸的是，几乎所有的EDLC制造商都依赖于现有的活性炭制造商。预计该二期项目对材料性能的改善将对EDLC市场规模和EDLC技术的采用产生重大影响。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project aims to develop novel type of porous carbon materials with aligned pores for applications in electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs). These devices are serving multiple applications, such as smart electrical grids, hybrid-electric vehicles, energy-efficient industrial equipment and personal electronics. Conventional EDLCs store energy by adsorbing organic electrolyte ions on the internal surface of activated carbon electrodes under the application of electrical potential. They commonly take 10 to 100 seconds to charge or discharge. This charge rate is limited by the diffusion of ions inside the tortuous pores of activated carbons. The growing numbers of pulse-power applications, however, often need current boosts for only 1-10 seconds. These applications, therefore, will utilize a fraction of the energy storage capability of conventional EDLCs, which greatly increases the total weight and cost of the energy storage system, slowing down technology adoption. Herein, we propose an innovative low-cost material synthesis route for the formation of porous carbons with finely controlled microstructure, tunable pore size, high surface area, and, most importantly, aligned micropores for rapid ion transport and high power density. These materials offer a combination of fast charging rate and high specific capacitance.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is the contribution to dramatic improvements in EDLC technology and reduction of its cost. EDLCs, unlike secondary batteries, exhibit much higher specific power and demonstrate outstanding cycle life and greatly improved safety. The use of EDLCs in transportation and industrial equipment could lead to a major reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Their application in electrical grids will make multiple renewable energy technologies, such as wind and solar, more economical. The rate of adoption of this important technology could be significantly enhanced if EDLCs could be produced at a lower cost or if they offered further improved performance. These device characteristics are linked to the cost and properties of activated carbon electrodes. Unfortunately, nearly all EDLC manufacturers rely on the existing manufacturers of activated carbon. The expected improvements in material properties from this Phase II project are expected to have a major impact on the EDLC market size and the EDLC technology adoption.