(16c) Graphene Based Electrodes for Ultracapacitors

Ultracapacitors or supercapacitors are efficient storage devices with high power density energy. Developing new electrode materials with high conductivity and surface area are important for improving the performance of ultracapacitors and other energy storage devices.

Graphene has emerged as a promising electrode material with a theoretical surface area of 2630 m2/g. We report a hydrothermal synthesis method for the gram-scale production of graphene materials from graphite oxide. The reduced graphene oxide material was characterized by a combination of microscopic and spectroscopic techniques; a specific capacitance of ~190 F/g was obtained in aqueous KOH electrolyte. Other synthesis techniques of graphene based materials for ultracapacitor applications will also be briefly described. We appreciate funding from Graphene Energy, Inc., the NSF, and the DoE-SISGR.