Supercapacitor development from transition metal-integrated spinel manganese oxide-carbon nanotubes composite materials
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Date
2019
Authors
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Publisher
University of the Western Cape
Abstract
Supercapacitors are electrochemical energy storage devices, much like Li-ion batteries, that
have expeditiously been improved over the years through extensive research conducted in
material sciences and nanotechnology. Since supercapacitors are mostly known for their high
power densities and extended lifecycle, they are therefore mainly employed in applications
where large quantities of energy is required to be stored and/or released within quick time
periods and energy outputs. In the modern technological era, supercapacitors are
predominantly employed in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), trains, trams, cranes, cell
phones, as uninterrupted power supplies (UPS devices), and in memory backup units for
computer systems. Apart from these conventional application areas, the application field of
energy storage that ultimately makes supercapacitors blossom, is the field of storing
harvested renewable energy from self-sustaining power sources such as solar cells and/or
wind turbines. However, the unfortunate disadvantage associated with supercapacitors is its
low energy density compared to batteries. Therefore, this research work presents the study of
multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) integrated with spinel nanostructured CuMn2O4
nanoparticles as composite electrode materials towards enhancing the energy performance in
asymmetric pseudocapacitors. The hybrid composite (CuMn2O4/MWCNT) development
process initially started with the synthesis of the pristine (hausmannite-type) Mn3O4 material,
upon modification thereafter with copper and carbon nanoparticles.
Description
>Magister Scientiae - MSc
Keywords
Supercapacitors, Swagelok, Cycles, Conductivity, Energy density