Electroresponsive self-assembly for ?-layer Supercapacitors

Research question

Supercapacitor performance is limited both by the amount of charge that can be stored on the electrodes, and the rate that the device can discharge. Ionic liquids (ILs) are salts that are nonetheless liquid, and they have been suggested as solvent media for capacitors but their viscosity limits power.  IL self assembly at charged interfaces can take several forms, and we can now design ILs with a view to controlling this interfacial behavior. The project embraces a hybrid approach where a next-level projection of recent advances in our understanding of the interfacial self-assembly of ILs and their mixtures will allow the capacitance to be dramatically enhanced, as a means of significantly increasing the specific energy of devices, while maintaining acceptable resistance.

Sustainability aspects

Ionic materials (such as ILs) are a relatively novel responsive material class still under rapid development with much research still to be done to harness their full potential. Supercapacitors form part of the equation for storage of clean energy (for example by intermittent energy generation approaches) as well as its distribution as an additional energy supply via electric vehicles. Improved supercapacitance may be a sufficient motivating criterion. However, also replacing existing systems with a more sustainable alternative is a second motivation. Finally, the same scientific principles can also be used to generate the electroactive lubricants necessary for the efficient consumption of clean energy in electrical vehicles!