New supercapacitor created

Researchers at the University of Amsterdam have created a new supercapacitor.

The material has the potential to be used in electronics, transportation and energy storage devices. It is light, non-toxic, cheap and can be prepared easily on a large scale.

Dr David Eisenberg, one of the scientists involved in the research said: “Companies making electronic devices look for low-cost, highly reproducible materials with a low environmental impact. The literature abounds with reports of high-performance electronic materials, but these will only be applied if they can be made cheaply in large quantities.”

These capacitors were developed during the course of a Fuel Cells project undertaken by Dr Eisenberg and Professor Gadi Rothenberg. The materials were first developed as solid catalytic electrodes for fuel cells. The surface was then modified to create a highly porous, well-structured compound, possessing many potential sites for redox reactions, and it was this aspect that led to its discovery as a supercapacitor. The redox reactions that take place means the charging and discharging of the supercapacitor is much faster than it would be in batteries.

Professor Gadi Rothenberg said various applications were being looked at for the supercapacitor but it is likely to be attractive for use in general applications for light materials.

Supercapacitors have a high energy density and a quick charge and discharge rate. They are used to protect electronic circuits against power surges, for regenerative braking in cars and elevators and also delivering power in camera flashes. The University has filed a patent application for this invention.