Silicon chip with porous surface next to the special furnace where it was coated with graphene to create a supercapacitor electrode. Credit: Joe Howell / Vanderbilt
Graph displays the power density (watts per kilogram) and energy density (watt-hours per kilogram) of capacitors made from porous silicon (P-Si), graphene-coated porous silicon and carbon-based commercial capacitors. (Cary Pint / Vanderbilt)
Tech Ping!..............
I wonder what it could do if you attached it to a DeLorean.
material scientists? Whats that? A scientist that studies
material?
That will make your flashlight recoil.
“improved energy densities by over two orders of magnitude compared to those made from uncoated porous silicon and significantly better than commercial supercapacitors.”
Cool! Big jump!
This is a continuation of the work pioneered by Rice and UCLA (the latter who discovered how to cheaply produce graphene) and shows great promise. The biggest problem I see is the safety factor of using high storage capacitors. The ability of capacitors to charge quickly also allows them to discharge quickly so a shorted capacitor basically explodes.
The graph shows a power density of around 4 W-h/kg. Lithium-ion batteries are 100–265 W·h/kg.
What is the comparison between the best super-capacitors and this?
They move through the graphene as a wave. It’s a wave! The moment to applaud would be now.
Just for perspective, the best lithium polymer batteries deliver about 250 Wh/Kg.
The power density for supercaps is pretty good though, as is their longevity.
Will Dr Pint name the consortium to exploit this nanotech “Pint-sized materials”?
Graphene - like transistors were in the 50’s....