Carbon Nanofiber Supercapacitors for Grid Scale Energy Storage

Jema Science Inc teams up with Dr. Yuegang Zhang"s group at Molecular Foundray of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) to propose an electrochemical capacitor (supercapacitor) energy storage concept based on low-cost electrospun carbon nanofibers. We take advantage of extremely low-cost of electrospinning technology coupled with our research on metal oxide nanomaterials to produce state-of-the-art supercapacitors. To realize such a breakthrough concept, developments at three levels are needed including materials, processing and devices. Highly conductive carbon nanofibers will be fabricated by an electrospinning technology using multicomponent polymer precursors and a carbonization process. Surface area and pore size will be characterized. We will further develop a process to co-electrospin metal salts in polymer precursors and a post annealing process that can carbonize the nanofibers and convert the metal salts into metal oxides. We will assembly supercapacitor devices and study the electrochemical performance, including impedance, cycling, self-discharge, power and energy density analysis under different current density and optimization. In the later stage of this project, we will study device scaling and perform cost and safety analysis.