The approach allows us to explore electrolyte concentration gradients and the movement of ions within the electrode and electrolyte, both ultimately a cause of poor rate performance in batteries and supercapacitors
- Clare Grey
The work, which appears in the latest issue of the journal Nature Communications, focuses on electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs), a type of so-called supercapacitor. These are excellent options for powering systems where fast charging and power delivery are crucial, such as in regenerative braking (for use in trains and buses), camera flashes, and in backup computer memory.
“The MRI method really allows us to look inside a functioning electrical storage device and locate molecular events that are responsible for its functioning,” explains Dr Alexej Jerschow, of NYU’s Department of Chemistry, one of the paper’s senior authors.
“The approach allows us to explore electrolyte concentration gradients and the movement of ions within the electrode and electrolyte, both ultimately a cause of poor rate performance in batteries and supercapacitors,” adds co-author Professor Clare Grey of Cambridge’s Department of Chemistry.
The other authors included Andrew Ilott, a post-doctoral researcher in NYU’s Department of Chemistry, and Nicole Trease, a post-doctoral researcher at Stony Brook University.
Read the full story
Image: Capacitor
Credit: ©kilukilu/iStock
Excerpt from a press release courtesy of New York University.
Reproduced courtesy of the University of Cambridge
___________________________________________