• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.250-256
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• 2017

A graphene electrode with a novel in-plane structure is proposed and successfully adopted for use in supercapacitor applications. The in-plane structure allows electrolyte ions to interact with all the graphene layers in the electrode, thereby maximizing the utilization of the electrochemical surface area. This novel structure contrasts with the conventional out-of-plane stacked structure of such supercapacitors. We herein compare the volumetric capacitances of in-plane- and out-of-plane-structured devices with reduced multi-layer graphene oxide films as electrodes. The in-plane-structured device exhibits a capacitance 2.5 times higher (i.e., $327F\;cm^{-3}$) than that of the out-of-plane-structured device, in addition to an energy density of $11.4mWh\;cm^{-3}$, which is higher than that of lithium-ion thin-film batteries and is the highest among in-plane-structured ultra-small graphene-based supercapacitors reported to date. Therefore, this study demonstrates the potential of in-plane-structured supercapacitors with high volumetric performances as ultra-small energy storage devices.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.196-205
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• 2019

Ni-rich layered oxides $Li(Ni_xCo_yMn_z)O_2$ (x + y + z = 1) have been extensively studied in recent times owing to their high capacity and low cost and can possibly replace $LiCoO_2$ in the near future. However, these layered oxides suffer from problems related to the capacity fading, thermal stability, and safety at high voltages. In this study, we use surface coating as a strategy to improve the thermal stability at higher voltages. The uniform and conformal $Al_2O_3$ coating on prefabricated electrodes using atomic layer deposition significantly prevented surface degradation over prolonged cycling. Initial capacity of 190, 199, 188 and $166mAh\;g^{-1}$ is obtained for pristine, 2, 5 and 10 cycles of ALD coated samples at 0.2C and maintains 145, 158, 151 and $130mAh\;g^{-1}$ for high current rate of 2C in room temperature. The two-cycle $Al_2O_3$ modified cathode retained 75% of its capacity after 500 cycles at 5C with 0.05% capacity decay per cycle, compared with 46.5% retention for a pristine electrode, at an elevated temperature. Despite the insulating nature of the $Al_2O_3$ coating, a thin layer is sufficient to improve the capacity retention at a high temperature. The $Al_2O_3$ coating can prevent the detrimental surface reactions at a high temperature. Thus, the morphology of the active material is well-maintained even after extensive cycling, whereas the bare electrode undergoes severe degradation.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.350-355
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• 2015

Perforated polygonal cobalt oxide ($Co_3O_4$) is synthesized using electrospinning and a hydrothermal method followed by the removal of a carbon nanofiber (CNF) template. To investigate their formation mechanism, thermogravimetric analysis, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are examined. To obtain the optimum condition of perforated polygonal $Co_3O_4$, we prepare three different weight ratios of the Co precursor and the CNF template: sample A (Co precursor:CNF template- 10:1), sample B (Co precursor:CNF template-3.2:1), and sample C (Co precursor:CNF template-2:1). Among them, sample A exhibits the perforated polygonal $Co_3O_4$ with a thin carbon layer (5.7-6.2 nm) owing to the removal of CNF template. However, sample B and sample C synthesized perforated round $Co_3O_4$ and destroyed $Co_3O_4$ powders, respectively, due to a decreased amount of Co precursor. The increased amount of the CNF template prevents the formation of polygonal $Co_3O_4$. For sample A, the optimized weight ratio of the Co precursor and CNF template may be related to the successful formation of perforated polygonal $Co_3O_4$. Thus, perforated polygonal $Co_3O_4$ can be applied to electrode materials of energy storage devices such as lithium ion batteries, supercapacitors, and fuel cells.