Another Brick in the Supercapacitor

This presentation will discuss paths that control interfacial molecular interactions responsible for the formation of conducting polymer nanostructures while pinpointing synergistic mechanisms in oxidative radical polymerization and Fe3+ solution hydrolysis. Our studies seek to understand vapor phase polymerization, droplet evaporative self-assembly and solid-state dissolution as structure-directing tools for catalyzing the evolution of organic conjugated backbones. Deposition of conducting polymer coatings of exceedingly high electronic conductivity (3500 S/cm) will be discussed. Findings produced by the D’Arcy laboratory show that dissolution of Hematite (α-Fe2O3), as well as in-situ growth of rod-shape Akageneite (β-FeOOH) and 2D oxychloride (FeOCl) nanostructures, control polymer nucleation during oxidative radical polymerization. The mechanisms we have developed drive us to design the next generation of inorganic/organic core/shell nanostructured semiconductors. In our experiments, we utilize Hematite present in the microporous matrix of a common masonry construction material, fired red brick, to integrate poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) nanofibers. This presentation will address reversible doping mechanisms responsible for electrochemical energy storage. Notably, a PEDOT-brick supercapacitor shows an areal capacitance of 0.868 F/cm2 and an areal energy density of 121 µWh/cm2 calculated from galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements. Gel electrolyte and epoxy seal enables 10,000 chargedischarge cycles with a ~90% capacitance retention, and by connecting three devices, the voltage window is extended to 3.6 V. This seminar seeks to convey the importance of extant chemical handles for controlling engineering parameters. The work produced by the D’A rcy laboratory enables control of polymer structure resulting in conformal coatings of pseudocapacitive active species serving as the next generation of nanomaterials for electrochemical energy storage.