This special issue of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter focuses on physical aspects of capacitive energy storage and harvesting devices based on electrical double layers. An electrical double layer (EDL) is an interfacial structure in which charges are separated between two neighboring phases or layers. Originally introduced by Helmholtz in 1850, the concept of EDLs has found numerous applic...

We describe a graphene and single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) composite film prepared by a blending process for use as electrodes in high energy density supercapacitors. Specific capacitances of 290.6 F g(-1) and 201.0 F g(-1) have been obtained for a single electrode in aqueous and organic electrolytes, respectively, using a more practical two-electrode testing system. In the organic electr...

Rational design of advanced carbon nanomaterials with a balanced mesoporosity to microporosity is highly desirable for achieving high energy/power density for supercapacitors because the mesopore can allow better transport pathways for the solvated ions of larger than 1 nm. Inspired by the inherent meso/macroporous architecture and huge absorption ability to aqueous solution of auricularia biom...

The novel carbon (C)/MnO2 double-walled nanotube arrays (DNTAs) are designed and fabricated via template-assisted electrodeposition. The unique DNTA architectures of C/MnO2 composites with high weight fraction of MnO2 allow high electrode utilization ratio and facilitate electron and ion transmission. In the half-cell test, the hybrid C/MnO2 DNTAs as electrodes show a large specific capacitance...

Article history: Received 7 December 2013 Accepted 29 January 2014 Available online 6 February 2014 The electrical conduction and dielectric (capacitive) properties of electrolyte-filled carbon paste electrochemical electrodes are reported, with the carbon, electrolyte (15% H2SO4), carbon–electrolyte interface and carbon–contact(metal) interface contributions fully decoupled for the first time....

Four porous carbon samples denoted as LSC-1, LSC-2, LCS-3, and LSC-4 were prepared by carbonization of loofah sponge pretreated by ZnCl₂ activation, immersion in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), DMF-assisted solvothermal and melamine-assisted hydrothermal processes, and the specific surface areas were 1007, 799, 773, and 538 m²·g-1 with mainly micropores, respectively. Electrocapacitive properties ...

With an ordered polystyrene (PS) template-assisted electrochemical approach we synthesized three-dimensional ordered macroporous (3DOM) Cu2O/Ni inverse opals as electrodes for supercapacitors. The 3DOM Cu2O/Ni electrodes display superior kinetic performance, and satisfactory rate capability and cycling performance.