SBIR-STTR Award

This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase I project will combine the use of vertically aligned carbon nanofiber electrodes with organosilicon electrolytes to produce new supercapacitors exhibiting high voltage stability, high charge and discharge rate (i.e., good high-frequency response), and high energy storage density, using a safe, non-flammable electrolyte. Primary technical objectives of Phase 1 are to evaluate which organolsilcon polymers provide the best electrical properties, to grow well-defined nanofiber arrays with controlled spacing, and to characterize the longer-term stability of these novel supercapacitors. This combination of properties is particularly useful for use in hybrid automotive vehicles, where fast discharge rate is needed to sustain good vehicular acceleration, and the need for very large amounts of energy storage makes the intrinsic low flammability of organosilicon electrolytes highly desireable. The non-flammable nature of organosilicon polymers also simplifies cell construction, eliminating the need for flame-proof hermetic seals and therefore reducing the weight of the capacitors

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project proposes the development of ultracapacitor devices that combine the use of nanostructured carbon electrodes with organosilicon electrolytes. These innovative ultracapacitor devices are expected to provide higher working voltages than existing devices, yielding significantly increased energy and power density. This Phase II project will use laboratory results to develop prototype devices and address issues associated with scale up and development of procedures for creating prototype devices. These ultracapacitor devices will be characterized for long-term use by evaluating their physical properties and stability. The size of the ultracapacitor market, already surpassing $200M, continues to grow at a compound annual growth rate of more than 15%. The development of improved ultracapacitor energy storage devices should accelerate this growth by facilitating the commercial development of low-emission vehicles, which should reduce the overall demand for energy. Organosilicon-based electrolytes should improve the overall safety profile of ultracapacitor devices due to their low flammability and low vapor pressures. The improved safety and improved physical characteristics will expand opportunities for the use of ultracapacitors as robust energy storage devices in consumer electronics and industrial applications. This work will also assist in the development of a trained workforce by involving graduate students and postdocs in the research and development effort.