Ama-Supercapacitor wuhlobo oluqanjwe ngokufanelekile lwedivayisi engagcina futhi ilethe amandla ngokushesha kunamabhethri avamile. Badingeka kakhulu izicelo ezihlanganisa izimoto zikagesi, ezokuxhumana okungenantambo namalaser anamandla amakhulu.

Kodwa ukuze uqaphele lezi zinhlelo zokusebenza, ama-supercapacitor adinga ama-electrode angcono, axhuma i-supercapacitor kumadivayisi ancike emandleni awo. Lawa ma-electrode adinga ukushesha futhi ashibhe ukuzenza ngesilinganiso esikhulu futhi akwazi ukushaja nokukhipha umthwalo wawo kagesi ngokushesha. Ithimba lonjiniyela eNyuvesi yaseWashington licabanga ukuthi seliqhamuke nenqubo yokukhiqiza izinto zikagesi ze-supercapacitor ezohlangabezana nalezi zidingo eziqinile zezimboni nokusetshenziswa.

Abacwaningi, beholwa umsizi kaprofesa we-UW wesayensi yezinto zokwakha kanye nobunjiniyela uPeter Pauzauskie, bashicilele iphepha ngoJulayi 17 kumagazini i-Nature Microsystems kanye ne-Nanoengineering echaza i-electrode yabo ye-supercapacitor kanye nendlela esheshayo, engabizi abayenza ngayo. Indlela yabo yenoveli iqala ngezinto ezinothe ngekhabhoni ezomiswe zibe yi-matrix ene-low density ebizwa ngokuthi i-aerogel. Le airgel iyodwa ingasebenza njenge-electrode engahluziwe, kodwa ithimba lika-Pauzauskie liwuphindaphinde kabili amandla alo, okuyikhono lalo lokugcina ishaji kagesi.

Lezi zinsiza zokuqala ezingabizi, ezihambisana nenqubo yokuhlanganisa ehlelekile, zinciphisa izithiyo ezimbili ezivamile ekusetshenzisweni kwezimboni: izindleko nesivinini.

“Ezindaweni ezifaka izicelo zezimboni, isikhathi siyimali,” kusho uPauzauskie. “Singakwazi ukwenza izinto zokuqala lawa ma-electrode ngamahora, kunokuba amasonto. Futhi lokho kunganciphisa kakhulu izindleko zokuhlanganiswa zokwenza ama-electrode ama-supercapacitor asebenza kahle kakhulu. ”

Ama-electrode e-supercapacitor asebenzayo ahlanganiswa nezinto ezicebile ngekhabhoni nazo ezinendawo ephezulu. Imfuneko yokugcina ibalulekile ngenxa yendlela eyingqayizivele ama-supercapacitors agcina ngayo ukushaja kagesi. Nakuba ibhethri elivamile ligcina amashaji kagesi ngokusabela kwamakhemikhali okwenzeka ngaphakathi kwalo, i-supercapacitor esikhundleni salokho igcina futhi ihlukanise amashaji avumayo kanye namabi ngokuqondile endaweni yawo.

"Ama-Supercapacitor angenza ngokushesha kakhulu kunamabhethri ngoba awanqunyelwe ijubane lokusabela noma imikhiqizo engase yakheke," kusho umlobi ohamba naye u-Matthew Lim, umfundi we-UW udokotela eMnyangweni Wezesayensi Nezobunjiniyela. "Ama-Supercapacitor angashaja futhi akhiphe ngokushesha okukhulu, yingakho esebenza kahle ekuletheni lawa 'mandla' wamandla."

"Banezinhlelo zokusebenza ezinhle kakhulu lapho ibhethri lilodwa lihamba kancane kakhulu," kusho omunye umbhali oholayo uMatthew Crane, umfundi ofundela ubudokotela eMnyangweni Wezobunjiniyela Bamakhemikhali e-UW. “Ezinkathini lapho ibhethri lihamba kancane kakhulu ukuze lihlangabezane nezidingo zamandla, i-supercapacitor ene-electrode yendawo ephezulu ingase ‘ikhahlele’ ngokushesha bese ivala isikhala sokushoda kwamandla.”

Ukuze uthole indawo ephezulu ye-electrode esebenza kahle, iqembu lasebenzisa ama-aerogel. Lezi izinto ezimanzi, ezifana nejeli eziye zadlula ukwelashwa okukhethekile okomisa nokushisisa ukuze kushintshe izingxenye zazo eziwuketshezi ngomoya noma enye igesi. Lezi zindlela zigcina ukwakheka kwejeli engu-3-D, kuyinikeza indawo ephezulu kanye nokuminyana okuphansi kakhulu. Kufana nokukhipha wonke amanzi ku-Jell-O ngaphandle kokuncipha.

“Igremu elilodwa le-airgel linendawo elingana nenkundla yebhola lezinyawo,” kusho uPauzauskie.

I-Crane yenza ama-aerogels nge-polymer efana nejeli, into enamayunithi esakhiwo aphindaphindayo, adalwe nge-formaldehyde namanye ama-molecule asekelwe ku-carbon. Lokhu kwaqinisekisa ukuthi idivayisi yabo, njengama-electrode e-supercapacitor yanamuhla, izoba nezinto ezicebile ngekhabhoni.

Ngaphambilini, u-Lim wabonisa ukuthi ukwengeza i-graphene—okuyishidi lekhabhoni ugqinsi lwe-athomu eyodwa kuphela—kujeli kufake i-airgel ewumphumela ngezinto ze-supercapacitor. Kodwa, i-Lim ne-Crane yayidinga ukuthuthukisa ukusebenza kwe-aerogel, futhi yenze inqubo yokuhlanganisa ingabizi futhi ibe lula.

Ezivivinyweni zangaphambilini zika-Lim, ukungeza i-graphene akuzange kuthuthukise amandla e-aerogel. Ngakho esikhundleni salokho balayisha ama-aerogel anamashidi amancane e-molybdenum disulfide noma i-tungsten disulfide. Womabili amakhemikhali asetshenziswa kabanzi namuhla kumafutha ezimbonini.

Abacwaningi baphathe zombili izinto zokwakha ngamagagasi omsindo wemvamisa ephezulu ukuze bazihlukanise zibe amashidi amancanyana futhi bawafake ku-matrix yejeli ecebile ngekhabhoni. Bangakwazi ukuhlanganisa ijeli emanzi egcwele ngokugcwele ngaphansi kwamahora amabili, kuyilapho ezinye izindlela zithatha izinsuku eziningi.

Ngemva kokuthola i-aerogel eyomile, enesisindo esincane, bayihlanganisa nezinto ezinamathelayo nokunye okunothe ngekhabhoni ukuze benze “inhlama” yezimboni, u-Lim ayengamane ayikhiphe ibe amashidi ubukhulu bezinkulungwane ezimbalwa zamayintshi. Basika amadiski angama-intshi anguhhafu enhlama futhi bawahlanganisela emakhasethini ebhethri yeselula yemali elula ukuze bahlole ukusebenza kahle kwezinto njenge-electrode ye-supercapacitor.

Akukhona nje kuphela ukuthi ama-electrode abo ayeshesha, alula futhi kulula ukuwahlanganisa, kodwa futhi ayedlala amandla okungenani amaphesenti angu-127 amakhulu kune-airgel ecebile nge-carbon yodwa.

U-Lim no-Crane balindele ukuthi ama-aerogel alayishwe ngisho namashidi azacile e-molybdenum disulfide noma i-tungsten disulfide—awo ayecishe abe ama-athomu ayi-10 kuya kwangu-100—azobonisa ukusebenza okungcono nakakhulu. Kodwa okokuqala, babefuna ukukhombisa ukuthi ama-aerogel alayishiwe angashesha futhi ashibhile ukuhlanganisa, isinyathelo esidingekayo sokukhiqizwa kwezimboni. Ukuhlela kahle kuza ngokulandelayo.

Ithimba likholelwa ukuthi le mizamo ingasiza ukuthuthukisa isayensi ngisho nangaphandle kwendawo yama-electrode e-supercapacitor. I-molybdenum disulfide emiswe nge-aerogel ingase ihlale izinzile ngokwanele ukuze ikhuthaze ukukhiqizwa kwe-hydrogen. Futhi indlela yabo yokubamba izinto ngokushesha kuma-aerogels ingasetshenziswa kumabhethri anamandla aphezulu noma i-catalysis.