Project R-14967

Diamond Supercabatteries with High Power Densities and Energy Densities (Research)

The development of efficient, long-lasting, and adaptable supercapacitors (SCs) remains a significant challenge for energy storage as well as compact and portable electronic devices. To achieve flexible SCs with superior electrochemical performance, correct electrode selection, design, and fabrication are critical. The project aims to design and construct new supercabatteries or novel supercapacitors with high power densities, energy densities, and excellent mechanical flexibility. The performance of SCs is determined by the properties of the capacitor electrodes and the electrolytes, such as capacitance, capacitance retention, energy density, and power density. The growth of diamond capacitor electrodes, assembly of diamond supercabatteries with redox electrolytes, and fabrication of flexible diamond supercabatteries will be therefore focused on. Among numerous candidate materials, conductive diamond, specifically heavily boron-doped diamond (BDD) films, is recognized as one of the best capacitor electrodes due to its unique features such as metal-like conductivity, high electrochemical activity, and excellent stability in different media. Meanwhile, BDD film has a wide potential window, allowing for a high operating voltage range in both aqueous and organic solutions. When BDD films are thin or nanostructured, they exhibit flexibility and can be curved, making them suitable for applications requiring mechanical flexibility. The project will involve the growth of diamond cloths and related BDD composites as capacitor electrodes, with the use of a MWCVD technique and pre-treatment and seeding of carbon cloths with diamond nanoparticles. The project will also investigate the diamond quality, electrochemical features, interface properties, and mechanical stability of the diamond supercabatteries, as well as their capacitive behaviour, power/energy densities, and flexibility.

01 July 2024 - 30 November 2025