SBIR Phase I: Microporous Carbons with Aligned Pores for Supercapacitors

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes the development of an innovative low-cost material synthesis route for the formation of porous carbons with finely controlled and uniform microstructure, tunable pore size, high surface area, and, most importantly, aligned micropores for rapid ion transport. Conventional supercapacitor electrodes are made of activated carbons with inconsistent properties and random tortuous pores that inhibit the flow of ions in the material. The proposed material will allow much higher power density and faster charge and discharge rates in supercapacitors, as needed by applications in smart electric grids, electric vehicles, energy-efficient industrial equipment and personal electronics. The broader/commercial impacts of this research are the dramatic enhancement in the performance with simultaneous reduction in cost of supercapacitors. Such improvements are expected to significantly increase the adoption of the supercapacitor technology by industry. The use of supercapacitors in transportation and industrial equipment leads to the dramatic reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission. Their applications in electrical grids enable the economic use of wind and ocean turbines. The elimination of the activation step in the porous carbon formation will avoid CO and CO2 emissions, thus improving the environmental friendliness of electrode manufacturing processes.