Competitive effect of KOH activation on the electrochemical performances of carbon nanotubes for EDLC: Balance between porosity and conductivity

Bin Xu; Feng Wu; Yuefeng Su; Gaoping Cao; Shi Chen; Zhiming Zhou; Yusheng Yang

doi:10.1016/j.electacta.2008.05.033

Competitive effect of KOH activation on the electrochemical performances of carbon nanotubes for EDLC: Balance between porosity and conductivity

Bin Xu^*, Feng Wu, Yuefeng Su, Gaoping Cao, Shi Chen, Zhiming Zhou, Yusheng Yang

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Material Science and Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

143 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This work is focused on the competitive effects on the performance of the electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs) between porosity increase and simultaneous conductivity decrease for KOH-activated carbon nanotubes (CNTs). A series of the CNTs have been activated with KOH to enhance their surface areas for application in EDLCs. The microstructure of the activated carbon nanotubes (ACNTs) is characterized with N₂ adsorption, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation and electric conductivity measurement. Their electrochemical performances are evaluated in aqueous KOH electrolyte with galvanostatic charge/discharge, cyclic voltammetry, and ac impedance spectroscopy. It is found that the KOH activation enhances the specific surface area of the CNTs and its specific capacitance but decreases its electric conductivity and the rate performance in EDLC. By controlling the activation of the CNTs to balance the porosity and conductivity, ACNTs with both high capacitance and good rate performance are obtained.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	7730-7735
Number of pages	6
Journal	Electrochimica Acta
Volume	53
Issue number	26
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2008.05.033
Publication status	Published - 1 Nov 2008

Keywords

Activation
Capacitance
Carbon nanotubes
Electric double layer capacitor
Specific surface area

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10.1016/j.electacta.2008.05.033

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title = "Competitive effect of KOH activation on the electrochemical performances of carbon nanotubes for EDLC: Balance between porosity and conductivity",

abstract = "This work is focused on the competitive effects on the performance of the electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs) between porosity increase and simultaneous conductivity decrease for KOH-activated carbon nanotubes (CNTs). A series of the CNTs have been activated with KOH to enhance their surface areas for application in EDLCs. The microstructure of the activated carbon nanotubes (ACNTs) is characterized with N2 adsorption, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation and electric conductivity measurement. Their electrochemical performances are evaluated in aqueous KOH electrolyte with galvanostatic charge/discharge, cyclic voltammetry, and ac impedance spectroscopy. It is found that the KOH activation enhances the specific surface area of the CNTs and its specific capacitance but decreases its electric conductivity and the rate performance in EDLC. By controlling the activation of the CNTs to balance the porosity and conductivity, ACNTs with both high capacitance and good rate performance are obtained.",

keywords = "Activation, Capacitance, Carbon nanotubes, Electric double layer capacitor, Specific surface area",

author = "Bin Xu and Feng Wu and Yuefeng Su and Gaoping Cao and Shi Chen and Zhiming Zhou and Yusheng Yang",

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T1 - Competitive effect of KOH activation on the electrochemical performances of carbon nanotubes for EDLC

T2 - Balance between porosity and conductivity

AU - Xu, Bin

AU - Wu, Feng

AU - Su, Yuefeng

AU - Cao, Gaoping

AU - Chen, Shi

AU - Zhou, Zhiming

AU - Yang, Yusheng

PY - 2008/11/1

Y1 - 2008/11/1

N2 - This work is focused on the competitive effects on the performance of the electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs) between porosity increase and simultaneous conductivity decrease for KOH-activated carbon nanotubes (CNTs). A series of the CNTs have been activated with KOH to enhance their surface areas for application in EDLCs. The microstructure of the activated carbon nanotubes (ACNTs) is characterized with N2 adsorption, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation and electric conductivity measurement. Their electrochemical performances are evaluated in aqueous KOH electrolyte with galvanostatic charge/discharge, cyclic voltammetry, and ac impedance spectroscopy. It is found that the KOH activation enhances the specific surface area of the CNTs and its specific capacitance but decreases its electric conductivity and the rate performance in EDLC. By controlling the activation of the CNTs to balance the porosity and conductivity, ACNTs with both high capacitance and good rate performance are obtained.

AB - This work is focused on the competitive effects on the performance of the electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs) between porosity increase and simultaneous conductivity decrease for KOH-activated carbon nanotubes (CNTs). A series of the CNTs have been activated with KOH to enhance their surface areas for application in EDLCs. The microstructure of the activated carbon nanotubes (ACNTs) is characterized with N2 adsorption, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation and electric conductivity measurement. Their electrochemical performances are evaluated in aqueous KOH electrolyte with galvanostatic charge/discharge, cyclic voltammetry, and ac impedance spectroscopy. It is found that the KOH activation enhances the specific surface area of the CNTs and its specific capacitance but decreases its electric conductivity and the rate performance in EDLC. By controlling the activation of the CNTs to balance the porosity and conductivity, ACNTs with both high capacitance and good rate performance are obtained.

KW - Activation

KW - Capacitance

KW - Carbon nanotubes

KW - Electric double layer capacitor

KW - Specific surface area

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DO - 10.1016/j.electacta.2008.05.033

M3 - Article

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SN - 0013-4686

VL - 53

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JO - Electrochimica Acta

JF - Electrochimica Acta

IS - 26

ER -

Competitive effect of KOH activation on the electrochemical performances of carbon nanotubes for EDLC: Balance between porosity and conductivity

Abstract

Keywords

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