Researchers at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Australia have developed a supercapacitor featuring graphene carbon nanotube films. They’re confident that their creation could dramatically boost the power and range of all-electric vehicles that now rely on lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries for propulsion.
In research that was published in both the Journal of Power Sources and Nanotechnology, the Australian researchers used graphene films as the electrodes and carbon nanotube films as current collectors. The result was devices demonstrating energy densities ranging from 8 to 14 watt-hours per kilogram, and power densities between 250 and 450 kilowatts per kilogram.
The hope has been that someone could make graphene electrodes for supercapacitors that would boost their energy density into the range of chemical-based batteries. The supercapacitors currently on the market have on average an energy density around 28 Wh/kg, whereas a Li-ion battery holds about 200Wh/kg. That’s a big gap to fill.
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