In this study, polyimide (PI)-based activated carbon fibers (ACFs) were prepared for application as electrode materials in electric double-layer capacitors by varying the steam activation time for the PI fiber prepared under identical cross-linking conditions. The surface morphology and microcrystal structural characteristics of the prepared PI-ACFs were observed by field-emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry, respectively. The textural properties (specific surface area, pore volume, and pore size distribution) of the ACFs were calculated using the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, Barrett–Joyner–Halenda, and non-local density functional theory equations based on N2/ 77 K adsorption isotherm curve measurements. From the results, the specific surface area and total pore volume of PI-ACFs were determined to be 760–1550 m2/ g and 0.36–1.03 cm3/ g, respectively. It was confirmed that the specific surface area and total pore volume tended to continuously increase with the activation time. As for the electrochemical properties of PI-ACFs, the specific capacitance increased from 9.96 to 78.64 F/g owing to the developed specific surface area as the activation time increased.

Carbon-based materials, particularly graphite, have been extensively studied for their potential in fabricating flexible conductive fabrics with high electrical conductivity, which are attractive for wearable electronics. In this study, we investigated the effects of polar solvents, graphite concentration, and temperature on the electrical properties of conductive cotton fabrics. Our results show that the type of polar solvent and graphite concentration strongly influence the electrical conductivity of the fabrics. By controlling the graphite concentration, a wide range of conductive cotton fabrics with different conductivity values can be produced. Additionally, temperature resistance studies revealed that the fabrics exhibit both semiconductor and metallic behavior in the temperature range from room temperature to 160 °C. These interesting properties make the conductive cotton fabrics suitable for use as electrical components in circuits with resistive and inductive loads. Furthermore, we fabricated a supercapacitor with electrodes based on dispersed graphite and an electrolyte of sodium chloride salt dissolved in deionized water. Our findings suggest that conductive cotton fabrics have great potential for use in high-performance wearable electronics and energy storage devices.

Double-layer capacitors (DLCs) are developed with high surface electrodes to achieve a high capacitance value. In the present work, the initial bulk concentration of 1 mol/m3 and 3 mol /m3 are selected to show the consequential effects on the performance of a double-layer capacitor. A 1D model of COMSOL Multiphysics has been developed to analyze the electric field and potential in cell voltage, the electric displacement field and polarization induced by the field, and energy density in a double-layer structure. The electrostatics and the electric circuit modes in COMSOL are used to simulate the electrochemical processes in the double-layer structure. The analytical analysis of a double-layer capacitor with different initial bulk concentrations is investigated by using Poisson-Nernst-Plank equations. From the simulation results, the differential capacitance changes as a function of compact layer thickness and initial bulk concentration. The energy density varies with the differential capacitance and voltage window. The values of energy density are dominated by the interaction of ions in the solution and electrode surface.

In this study, N/S co-doped carbon felt (N/S-CF) was prepared and characterized as an electrode material for electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs). A commercial carbon felt (CF) was immersed in an aqueous solution of thiourea and then thermally treated at 800 oC under an inert atmosphere. The prepared N/S-CF showed a large specific surface area with hierarchical pore structures. The electrochemical performance of the N/S-CF-based electrode was evaluated using both 3- electrode and 2-electrode systems. In the 3-electrode system, the N/S-CF-based electrode showed a good specific capacitance of 177 F/g at 1 A/g and a good rate capability of 41% at 20 A/g. In the 2-electrode system (symmetric capacitor), the freestanding N/S-CF-based electrode showed a specific capacitance of 275 mF/cm2 at 2 mA/cm2, a rate capability of 62.5 % at 100 mA/cm2, a specific power density of ~ 25,000 mW/cm2 at an energy density of 23.9 mWh/cm2, and a cycling stability of ~ 100 % at 100 mA/cm2 after 20,000 cycles. These results indicate the N/S co-doped carbon felts can be a promising candidate as a new electrode material in a symmetric capacitor.

In this study, we developed a facile and template-free strategy for the preparation of activated porous carbon beads (APCBs) from polyacrylonitrile. The chemical activation with KOH was found to enhance the pore properties, such as specific surface area (SSA), pore volume, and pore area. The APCBs exhibited a large SSA of 1147.99 m2/g and a pore area of 131.73 m2/g. The APCB-based electrodes showed a good specific capacitance of 112 F/g at 1 A/g in a 6 M KOH electrolyte, and excellent capacitance retention of 100% at a current density of 5 A/g after 1000 cycles. Therefore, the APCBs prepared in this study can be applied as electrode materials for electric double-layer capacitors.

A stacked high-voltage (900 V) Al electrolytic capacitor made with ZrO2 coated anode foils, which has not been studied so far, is realized and the effects of Zr-Al-O composite layer on the electric properties are discussed. Etched Al foils coated with ZrO2 sol are anodized in 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol (MPD)-boric acid electrolyte. The anodized Al foils are assembled with stacked structure to prepare the capacitor. The capacitance and dissipation factor of the capacitor with ZrO2 coated anode foils increase by 41 % and decrease by 50 %, respectively, in comparison with those of Al anode foils. Zr-Al- O composite dielectric layer is formed between separate crystalline ZrO2 with high dielectric constant and amorphous Al2O3 with high ionic resistivity. This work suggests that the formation of a composite layer by coating valve metal oxide on etched Al foil surface

Because of their excellent stability and highly specific surface area, carbon based materials have received attention as electrode materials of electrical double-layer capacitors(EDLCs). Biomass based carbon materials have been studied for electrode materials of EDLCs; these materials have low capacitance and high-rate performance. We fabricated tofu based porous activated carbon by polymer dissolution reaction and KOH activation. The activated porous carbon(APC-15), which has an optimum condition of 15 wt%, has a high specific surface area(1,296.1 m2 g−1), an increased average pore diameter(2.3194 nm), and a high mesopore distribution(32.4 %), as well as increased surface functional groups. In addition, APC has a high specific capacitance(195 F g−1) at low current density of 0.1 A g−1 and excellent specific capacitance(164 F g−1) at high current density of 2.0 A g−1. Due to the increased specific surface area, volume ratio of mesopores, and surface functional groups, the specific capacitance and high-rate performance increased. Consequently, the tofu based activated porous carbon can be proposed as an electrode material for high-performance EDLCs.

We report a facile and versatile strategy to prepare multi-dimensional nanocarbons hybridized with mesoporous SiO2. Carbon nanoplatelets (CNPs, two-dimensional structure of nanocarbons) were combined with carbon nanotubes (CNTs, onedimensional nanocarbons) to form multi-dimensional carbons (2D–1D, CNP–CNTs). The CNP–CNTs were synthesized by directly growing CNTs on CNPs. A simple solution-based process using TEOS (tetraethyl orthosilicate) resulted in coating or hybridizing CNP–CNTs with mesoporous silica to produce CNP–CNTs@SiO2. The nanocarbons’ surface area significantly increased as the amount of TEOS increased. Electrochemical characterizations of CNP–CNTs@SiO2 as supercapactior electrodes including cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge in 3 M KOH (aq) reveal excellent-specific capacitance of 23.84 mF cm−2 at 20 mV s−1, stable charge–discharge operation, and low internal resistance. Our work demonstrates mesoporous SiO2 on nanocarbons have great potential in electrochemical energy storage.

To improve the performance of carbon nanofibers as electrode material in electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), we prepare three types of samples with different pore control by electrospinning. The speciments display different surface structures, melting behavior, and electrochemical performance according to the process. Carbon nanofibers with two complex treatment processes show improved performance over the other samples. The mesoporous carbon nanofibers (sample C), which have the optimal conditions, have a high sepecific surface area of 696 m2 g−1, a high average pore diameter of 6.28 nm, and a high mesopore volume ratio of 87.1%. In addition, the electrochemical properties have a high specific capacitance of 110.1 F g−1 at a current density of 0.1 A g−1 and an excellent cycling stability of 84.8% after 3,000 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A g−1. Thus, we explain the improved electrochemical performance by the higher reaction area due to an increased surface area and a faster diffusion path due to the increased volume fraction of the mesopores. Consequently, the mesoporous carbon nanofibers are demonstrated to be a very promising material for use as electrode materials of high-performance EDLCs.

Mesoporous carbon nanofibers as electrode material for electrical double-layer capacitors(EDLCs) are fabricated using the electrospinning method and carbonization. Their morphologies, structures, chemical bonding states, porous structure, and electrochemical performance are investigated. The optimized mesoporous carbon nanofiber has a high sepecific surface area of 667 m2 g−1, high average pore size of 6.3 nm, and high mesopore volume fraction of 80 %, as well as a unifom network structure consiting of a 1-D nanofiber stucture. The optimized mesoporous carbon nanofiber shows outstanding electrochemical performance with high specific capacitance of 87 F g−1 at a current density of 0.1 A g−1, high-rate performance (72 F g−1 at a current density of 20.0 A g−1), and good cycling stability (92 F g−1 after 100 cycles). The improvement of the electrochemical performance via the combined effects of high specific surface area are due to the high mesopore volume fraction of the carbon nanofibers.

Carbon nanofiber (CNF) is used as an electrode material for electrical double layer capacitors (EDLCs), and is being consistently researched to improve its electrochemical performance. However, CNF still faces important challenges due to the low mesopore volume, leading to a poor high-rate performance. In the present study, we prepared the unique architecture of the activated mesoporous CNF with a high specific surface area and high mesopore volume, which were successfully synthesized using PMMA as a pore-forming agent and the KOH activation. The activated mesoporous CNF was found to exhibit the high specific surface area of 703 m2 g−1, total pore volume of 0.51 cm3 g−1, average pore diameter of 2.9 nm, and high mesopore volume of 35.2 %. The activated mesoporous CNF also indicated the high specific capacitance of 143 F g−1, high-rate performance, high energy density of 17.9-13.0Wh kg−1, and excellent cycling stability. Therefore, this unique architecture with a high specific surface area and high mesopore volume provides profitable synergistic effects in terms of the increased electrical double-layer area and favorable ion diffusion at a high current density. Consequently, the activated mesoporous CNF is a promising candidate as an electrode material for high-performance EDLCs.

Flexible BaTiO3 films as dielectric materials for high energy density capacitors were deposited on polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) substrates by r.f. magnetron sputtering. The growth behavior, microstructure and electrical properties of theflexible BaTiO3 films were dependent on the sputtering pressure during sputtering. The RMS roughness and crystallite size ofthe BaTiO3 increased with increasing sputtering pressure. All BaTiO3 films had an amorphous structure, regardless of thesputtering pressures, due to the low PET substrate temperature. The composition of films showed an atomic ratio (Ba:Ti:O)of 0.9:1.1:3. The electrical properties of the BaTiO3 films were affected by the microstructure and roughness. The BaTiO3 filmsprepared at 100mTorr exhibited a dielectric constant of ~80 at 1kHz and a leakage current of 10−8A at 400kV/cm. Also, filmsshowed polarization of 8µC/cm2 at 100kV/cm and remnant polarization (Pr) of 2µC/cm2. This suggests that sputter depositedflexible BaTiO3 films are a promising dielectric that can be used in high energy density capacitors owing to their high dielectricconstant, low leakage current and stable preparation by sputtering.

Well-distributed ruthenium (Ru) nanoparticles decorated on porous carbon nanofibers (CNFs) were synthesized using an electrospinning method and a reduction method for use in high-performance elctrochemical capacitors. The formation mechanisms including structural, morphological, and chemical bonding properties are demonstrated by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). To investigate the optimum amount of the Ru nanoparticles decorated on the porous CNFs, we controlled three different weight ratios (0 wt%, 20 wt%, and 40 wt%) of the Ru nanoparticles on the porous CNFs. For the case of 20 wt% Ru nanoparticles decorated on the porous CNFs, TEM results indicate that the Ru nanoparticles with ~2-4 nm size are uniformly distributed on the porous CNFs. In addition, 40 wt% Ru nanoparticles decorated on the porous CNFs exhibit agglomerated Ru nanoparticles, which causes low performance of electrodes in electrochemical capacitors. Thus, proper distribution of 20 wt% Ru nanoparticles decorated on the porous CNFs presents superior specific capacitance (~280.5 F/g at 10 mV/s) as compared to the 40 wt% Ru nanoparticles decorated on the porous CNFs and the only porous CNFs. This enhancement can be attributed to the synergistic effects of well-distributed Ru nanoparticles and porous CNF supports having high surface area.

MgTiO3 thin films were prepared by r.f. magnetron sputtering in order to prepare miniaturized NPO type MLCCs.MgTiO3 films showed a polycrystalline structure of ilmenite characterized by the appearance of (110) and (202) peaks. Theintensity of the peaks decreased with an increase in the chamber pressure due to the decrease of crystallinity which resultedfrom the decrease of kinetic energy of the sputtered atoms. The films annealed at 600oC for 60min. showed a fine grainedmicrostructure without micro-cracks. The grain size and roughness of the MgTiO3 films decreased with the increase of chamberpressure. The average surface roughness was 1.425~0.313nm for MgTiO3 films prepared at 10~70mTorr. MgTiO3 films showeda dielectric constant of 17~19.7 and a dissipation factor of 2.1~4.9% at 1MHz. The dielectric constant of the films is similarto that of bulk ceramics. The dielectric constant and the dissipation factor decreased with the increase of the chamber pressuredue to the decrease of grain size and crystallinity. The leakage current density was 10−5~10−7A/cm2 at 200kV/cm and this valuedecreased with the increase of the chamber pressure. The small grain size and smooth surface microstructure of the filmsdeposited at high chamber pressure resulted in a low leakage current density. MgTiO3 films showed a near zero temperaturecoefficient and satisfied the specifications for NPO type materials. The dielectric properties of the MgTiO3 thin films preparedby sputtering suggest the feasibility of their application for MLCCs.

Amorphous BaTi4O9 (BT4) film was deposited on Pt/Si substrate by RF magnetron sputter and their dielectric properties and electrical properties are investigated. A cross sectional SEM image and AFM image of the surface of the amorphous BT4 film deposited at room temperature showed the film was grown well on the substrate. The amorphous BT4 film had a large dielectric constant of 32, which is similar to that of the crystalline BT4 film. The leakage current density of the BT4 film was low and a Poole-Frenkel emission was suggested as the leakage current mechanism. A positive quadratic voltage coefficient of capacitance (VCC) was obtained for the BT4 film with a thickness of<70 nm and it could be due to the free carrier relaxation. However, a negative quadratic VCC was obtained for the films with a thickness ≥96nm, possibly due to the dipolar relaxation. The 55 nm-thick BT4 film had a high capacitance density of 5.1fF/μm2 with a low leakage current density of 11.6nA/cm2 at 2 V. Its quadratic and linear VCCs were 244ppm/V2 and -52 ppm/V, respectively, with a low temperature coefficient of capacitance of 961ppm/˚C at 100 kHz. These results confirmed the potential suitability of the amorphous BT4 film for use as a high performance metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor.