Meter-Scale Self-Assembly of Dense&Oriented Nanomaterials for Double Layer Capacitors

Capacitive energy storage is a critical technology for advanced electronics as well as a necessary technology for the implementation of intermittent, renewable power generation. Innovative and scalable nanofabrication techniques are required to enhance the performance and energy density of capacitors as well as many other energy storage and conversion technologies. Mainstream"s nanostructure array fabrication method is a low-cost, robust, and scalable method that exceeds the current state-of-the-art with respect to the ability to fabricate ultra-high surface area and dense nanostructures on addressable and conductive, semiconductive or insulating supports. The most distinct advantage is the ability to precisely fabricate nanostructure arrays with controllable geometries, diameters below 10 nm, lengths above 1 centimeter and densities above 10 billion structures per square centimeter. Application of Mainstream"s templated approach has yielded electrochemical double layer capacitors (EDLCs) with specific capacitances and discharge rates that meet or exceed the current state of the art with respect to similar devices. During Phase I, Mainstream demonstrated the fabrication of high-density nanostructure arrays of virtually any composition. The nanostructure arrays were used as EDLC electrodes and demonstrated better than state of the art specific capacitance. In addition, we discovered that a secondary experimental control gave rise to as high as a 10-fold increase in specific capacitance with respect to control samples.