Electrochemical performance of a superporous activated carbon in ionic liquid-based electrolytes

Abstract

The electrochemical behaviour of a superporous activated carbon (named as ANK3) with a tailored porosity (high apparent specific surface area and a high volume of micropores with an average pore size of around 1.4 nm) is analysed in different non-aqueous electrolytes. ANK3 shows very high capacitance (higher than 160 F g−1) values in solvent-free electrolytes at different temperatures (20, 40 and 60 °C) as well as in 1 M Et4N BF4/PC, 1 M PYR14 BF4/PC and 1 M PYR14 TFSI/PC. The tailored porosity of the ANK3, makes possible to obtain very high capacitance values, making this superporous activated carbon a promising candidate to be used as electrode for electrochemical capacitors using both organic and ionic liquid electrolytes. It is also confirmed that several parameters, such as the ion/pore size ratio, the ion shape, the ion solvation and the conductivity and viscosity of the electrolyte have a strong influence on the electrochemical behaviour of the ANK3.