Carbon Foam and Pseudocapacitance Technology

Electrochemical capacitors (supercapacitors) are rechargeable devices which deliver high powers for limited periods. The objective of this proposal is to provide new, low-cost approaches for significantly increasing the power and energy storage of carbon supercapacitors. We do this in two ways: A) We improve power by preparing carbon in the form of a contiguous, conductive foam structure. This is done with novel technology: a polymer powder is simply pressed into a compact and carbonized. B) We improve energy by modifying the carbon surface with groups which undergo redox reactions (i.e., they provide pseudocapacitance). One proprietary surface modification from our lab has been shown to increase carbon's energy storage by as much as 100% in aqueous electrolytes. The Phase I work consists of: a) Enhancing the power properties of our carbon foam by tailoring its pore size distribution. b) Determining the feasibility of mass-producing carbon foam in thin wafer form. c) Preparation and testing of an aqueous prototype. D) Testing a new surface modification concept designed to provide pseudocapacitance in organic electrolytes.