Electric double-layer capacitors with tea waste derived activated carbon electrodes and plastic crystal based flexible gel polymer electrolytes

• Published in: Journal of physics. Conference series 2016-08, Vol.739 (1), p.12086
• Main Authors: Suleman, M, Deraman, M, Othman, M A R, Omar, R, Hashim, M A, Basri, N H, Nor, N S M, Dolah, B N M, Hanappi, M F Y M, Hamdan, E, Sazali, N E S, Tajuddin, N S M, Jasni, M R M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activated carbon; Capacitors; Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy; Electrolytes; Ion currents; Physics; Polymer films; Polymer gels; Polymers; Room temperature; Succinonitrile; Trifluoromethane
• ISSN: 1742-6588; 1742-6596
• DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/739/1/012086

We report a novel configuration of symmetrical electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) comprising a plastic crystalline succinonitrile (SN) based flexible polymer gel electrolyte, incorporated with sodium trifluoromethane sulfonate (NaTf) immobilised in a host polymer poly (vinylidine fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-HFP). The cost-effective activated carbon powder possessing a specific surface area (SSA) of ~ 1700 m2g-1 containing a large proportion of meso-porosity has been derived from tea waste to use as supercapacitor electrodes. The high ionic conductivity (~3.6×10-3 S cm-1 at room temperature) and good electrochemical stability render the gel polymer electrolyte film a suitable candidate for the fabrication of EDLCs. The performance of the EDLCs has been tested by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and galvanostatic charge-discharge studies. The performance of the EDLC cell is found to be promising in terms of high values of specific capacitance (~270 F g-1), specific energy (~ 36 Wh kg-1), and power density (~ 33 kW kg-1).