High-energy micro-supercapacitors based on low-cost materials

Introduction

Miniaturized energy storage solutions are key to powering the modern era of connected devices, which is at the heart of the Internet of Things (IoT) concept. Microsupercapacitor electrodes with 3D architectures have drawn increasing interest in recent years due to their better energetic performances while maintaining a reduced footprint occupancy.

Technology Overview

Thin films of pseudocapacitive RuO2 active materials deposited onto highly porous Pt current collectors, sculptured via the hydrogen bubble templated electrodeposition, have led to energy storage microdevices with extremely high power, long lifetime, and energy densities competing with that of micro-batteries.

These microsupercapacitor electrodes stand miles ahead of previously reported studies both in terms of their surface area and surface capacitance, making them suitable for embedded electronics demanding high energy/high power density per footprint area.

Challenges

However, the cost of Ru and Pt considerably limits their commercial applications on a large scale, relegating Ru-based micro-supercapacitors to niche applications. The substitution of ruthenium with alternative transition metal electrodes characterized by lower cost and higher abundance is therefore a requirement to reduce the price of electrochemical microstorage systems and enable long-term sustainability for a wide range of applications in everyday life.

Project Goals

The EU-funded 3D-APP project will address this challenge by producing MnO2 deposited on porous Ni using simple and scalable processes that result in high-energy electrodes that are economically feasible.

Innovative Approaches

These electrodes will be combined with innovative ionic liquid-based electrolytes in solid form to achieve collective and scalable fabrication of low-cost prototypes onto silicon wafers or flexible polymer substrates.