Ask an Expert: Exciting supercapacitor solutions with an expert
Do you ever stop to think how many amazing things we have today that would seem unbelievable to people in the past? We’ll likely be saying the same thing in future, too – thanks to technology like supercapacitors.
Not so long ago, the idea of a battery-powered book (or an electric bus!) might have seemed like a sci-fi movie, but both e-readers and electric cars can be seen everywhere today. We often take it for granted, but the electrification of our world has gained a lot of momentum in recent years.
Greener energy for a cleaner world
Of course, all this is good news for the planet – especially the advances in e-mobility. Many of us know the feeling of inhaling traffic fumes in a busy city, but with battery-powered electric vehicles (BEVs) rising rapidly in popularity, we have the real prospect of improving the health and well-being of urban dwellers and the Earth. Charging our electric devices with green energy completes the picture.
But in order to preserve our quality of life (and encourage people to use them), we want BEVs that perform similarly to the cars, buses, and trucks we’re already used to. This doesn’t just mean being able to drive around, either – humans love gadgets, and we want our high-end technology to come with us on the road. Once we’re used to an immersive sound system, or a key fob that controls our air conditioning, it’s hard to give those things up!
Keep your expectations high
All these demands on the electricity powering our vehicle (or other electronic devices) are a challenge. We already expect fast charging, long battery life, and long overall lifetime – but we’re asking for high burst power and high peak load capacity too. The answer? Supercapacitors.
Supercapacitors deliver a much higher capacitance than regular capacitors, but with a lower voltage limit. They’re ideal for applications that need rapid charge/discharge cycles, instead of longer-term energy storage. Symmetric supercapacitors, with great stability and higher energy density, are even better. They’re capable of undergoing reversible multielectron transfer reactions, enabling even higher performance while maintaining the small size and lightweight that are so critical in many applications, especially automotive tech.
Dig into microflowers at Ask an Expert!
This exciting area is where we meet Nitish Kumar, a researcher at the Indian Institute of Technology, Jammu. His recent research into nanoporous vanadium oxide (VO2 (B)) using organic electrolytes in symmetric supercapacitor applications is the subject of our upcoming Ask an Expert! talk, which he’ll be guest-hosting himself on March 23! He’ll explain his work and explore how he used the Empyrean to achieve his results.
Nitish’s project synthesized VO2 (B) microflowers with a stable phase and tailored porous structures, utilizing block copolymers to achieve excellent supercapacitor performance. Microflowers are a fascinating natural phenomenon still coming into their full potential in catalysis and energy storage. With such a great combination of cutting-edge research and practical, real-world applications, this Ask an Expert! session promises to be an instant hit!
Want a sneak peek at Nitish’s research to prepare for the session? Check out his paper here.
Explore all our past (and future!) Ask an Expert! webinars here.
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