Nanomanufacturing of Activated Carbon Nanosphere-Based Supercapacitors from Industrial Biomass Waste

The objectives of this project are 1) to synthesize activated carbon nanospheres (ACNSs) and ACNS-based composites from industrial biomass waste derivatives (e.g. bourbon stillage) and 2) to investigate the mechanical response of the ACNSs during electrochemical cycling for designing better ACNS-based electrode materials. The work will integrate information from electrochemical characterization, in-situ mechanical characterization and modeling to answer three basic questions: 1) Do the power density and energy density of ACNS-based EDLCs (electrochemical double layer capacitors) depend on the sphere size and pore size?; 2) How does electrochemical cycling influence the mechanical behavior and structures of ACNSs?; 3) How does the coupling between electrokinetic flow and diffusion of ions influence the stress evolution in ACNSs during electrochemical cycling? Results of this work will fundamentally transform the understanding of electrical-chemical-mechanical interaction of electrodes in EDLCs by uncovering the effects of charging-discharging on the structural integrity and electrochemical performance for the development of better ACNS-based electrode materials.