Composite Manganese Oxide Percolating Networks As a Suspension Electrode for an Asymmetric Flow Capacitor

Journal Article · Mon May 05 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/am501650q· OSTI ID:1386331

Hatzell, Kelsey B. ^[1]; Fan, Lei ^[1]; Beidaghi, Majid ^[1]; Boota, Muhammad ^[1]; Pomerantseva, Ekaterina ^[2]; Kumbur, Emin C. ^[3]; Gogotsi, Yury ^[1]

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1. A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute, Department of Material Science and Engineering, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
2. A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute, Department of Material Science and Engineering, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States; Materials Electrochemistry Group, Department of Material Science and Engineering, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
3. Electrochemical Energy Systems Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States

In this study, we examine the use of a percolating network of metal oxide (MnO2) as the active material in a suspension electrode as a way to increase the capacitance and energy density of an electrochemical flow capacitor. Amorphous manganese oxide was synthesized via a low-temperature hydrothermal approach and combined with carbon black to form composite flowable electrodes of different compositions. All suspension electrodes were tested in static configurations and consisted of an active solid material (MnO2 or activated carbon) immersed in aqueous neutral electrolyte (1 M Na2SO4). Increasing concentrations of carbon black led to better rate performance but at the cost of capacitance and viscosity. Furthermore, it was shown that an expanded voltage window of 1.6 V could be achieved when combining a composite MnO2-carbon black (cathode) and an activated carbon suspension (anode) in a charge balanced asymmetric device. The expansion of the voltage window led to a significant increase in the energy density to ~11 Wh kg–1 at a power density of ~50 W kg–1. These values are ~3.5 times and ~2 times better than a symmetric suspension electrode based on activated carbon.

• Research Organization: Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Fluid Interface Reactions, Structures and Transport Center (FIRST)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
• DOE Contract Number: ERKCC61
• OSTI ID: 1386331
• Journal Information: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, Vol. 6, Issue 11; Related Information: FIRST partners with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (lead); Argonne National Laboratory; Drexel University; Georgia State University; Northwestern University; Pennsylvania State University; Suffolk University; Vanderbilt University; University of Virginia; ISSN 1944-8244
• Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
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energy storage (including batteries and capacitors)
hydrogen and fuel cells
electrodes - solar
mechanical behavior
charge transport
materials and chemistry by design
synthesis (novel materials)