Scientists at TU Ilmenau have succeeded in realizing micro supercapacitors with record-breaking performance. The results of the research work of the Applied Nanophysics department were published in the internationally renowned international journal "Nature Communications".
Miniaturization of energy storage devices is the key to new autonomous electronic systems and innovative wireless technologies in the Internet of Things. In their article "Nanoelectrode design from microminiaturized honeycomb monolith with ultrathin and stiff nanoscaffold for high-energy micro-supercapacitors", researchers at TU Ilmenau describe a unique design concept for nano-electrodes that can be used to realize micro-supercapacitors with impressively high energy and power densities. Such ultra-powerful energy storage devices could be used in the future for novel autonomous electronic systems and for wireless technologies, such as wireless communication, sensor networks or implantable medical devices.
In the Internet of Things, new technologies enable real and virtual objects to be networked and to work together. However, supplying the devices with the necessary energy is a problem. The development of miniaturized energy storage devices that can be integrated into a microcircuit chip is one of the greatest technological challenges facing researchers worldwide. Micro-supercapacitors, with their high performance and exceptional lifetime, are the best solution for high energy and power density at miniature scale. However, the enormous potential of micro-supercapacitors as a power source is currently far from being exploited. This is because the footprint on which the microelectronics responsible for the power supply are placed is limited.
The research work at TU Ilmenau led by Dr. Huaping Zhao and Prof. Yong Lei could help solve this problem. Dr. Zhao: "In order to provide enough energy on a small, solid surface, we have developed a completely novel three-dimensional nanoelectrode design. By storing more charge in the three-dimensional space than in the two-dimensional space, we increase the energy density of micro-supercapacitors." In this completely new research approach, the scientists led by Prof. Yong Lei, head of the Applied Nanophysics Department, drew inspiration from nature: "The model is the honeycomb with its rigid, cellular structure - an excellent platform for three-dimensional nanoelectrodes for micro-supercapacitors." Such tiny capacitors allow for the high specific surface area of the electrode while also providing the favorable ion transport within the electrode needed to perform fast electrochemical reactions to efficiently store more charges.
To the article: www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-14170-6