Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune, along with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai and the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune, have developed a supercapacitor.
Supercapacitors are used in improved energy-storage systems. This will revolutionise fields such as portable electronics, transportation, and green energy.
This could be achieved due to supercapacitors’ high-power density, fast charging/discharging time and long cycle stability. They would address issues such as efficient storage and on-demand release of energy. These scientists have developed one such storage material.
A press release issued by the IISER, Pune stated that the team of researchers led by Dr. R. Vaidhyanathan have developed a unique crystalline polymer material, which has extraordinarily high capacitance and energy density. Thus, it could become a future candidate for charge storage applications. Devices made from this material could be used in electric vehicles, electric motors, cell phones and smart home appliances.
This research was published recently in the journal ‘Advanced Energy Materials’. The scientists developed a novel 2D Covalent Organic Framework (COF), coupled with an electrolyte, to get exceptionally high performance.
The research resulted in an eight-fold enhancement in capacitance. Performance of the material remained fairly intact even after 10,000 cycles, said RinkuKushwaha, a leading researcher belonging to the team.
“We believe there is a significant potential with this class of crystalline porous polymers (COFs) in charge-storage devices. Still, more profound research is required to get the best out of them for practical utility”, said Dr. Vaidhyanathan.