Integrating a battery-type electrode to build a hybrid supercapacitor (HSC) is a promising approach to improve the overall energy density of a supercapacitor-type energy storage device without sacrificing its power output. The utilization of the traditional examples of HSC including lithium-ion or sodium-ion or potassium-ion storages limits their performance (especially energy density) as well as use of organic electrolytes in many of these HSC creates security risks, and pre-activation process makes such HSCs expensive and difficult to commercialize. Conversely, the energy storage systems based on multivalent ion (e.g., Zn2+, Ca2+ and Al3+) storage may possess some distinct advantages, such as fast charge transfer dynamics, ultrahigh energy density, aqueous electrolytes and ultralong cycling stability.
The project is planned to develop a new dual and multivalent (Zn2+ and Al3+) ion hybrid supercapacitors (DM-HSC) to reversibly store/release electrical energy. Two different pseudocapacitive materials as cathode and anode will be developed to achieve high energy-storing capacity with ultra-high power outputs and long-term cycling stability.
