CNT flexible membranes for energy storage and conversion systems

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Research Letter

CNT flexible membranes for energy storage and conversion systems Kofi Adu, Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University Altoona College, Altoona, PA 16601, USA; Materials Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA Ramakrishnan Rajagopalan, Materials Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Engineering, Pennsylvania State University DuBois, DuBois PA 15801, USA Cullen Kaschalk, Department of Electrical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA Clive Randall, Materials Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA Address all correspondence to Kofi Adu at [email protected] (Received 23 January 2019; accepted 27 March 2019)

Abstract We have successfully employed a charge transfer mechanism to convert carbon nanotube (CNT) powder into CNT flexible membrane with no binder. We have demonstrated the use of the CNT membranes as electrode in a stacked bipolar solid-state capacitor using grafoil as current collector that showed 80% capacitance retention over 10,000 cycles at 70 °C. The CNT membranes could have potential application in catalysis, photovoltaic, thermoelectric, and many others.

Introduction Current energy consumption/production that relies on combustion of fossil fuels and other human activities are having a great detrimental impact on the global ecology and economy as reported by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.[1] Several propositions including alternative renewable energy sources are at the forefront in addressing these eminent global warming challenges. However, the power delivered by most of these renewable energy sources can be intermittent, and thus, electrochemical energy storage and conversions systems that are designed to be more sustainable and environmentally benign are likely to have a particular value towards enhancing the power output from these intermittent renewable resources and in maintaining stability in the electrical power systems. Furthermore, the emerging advances in electronic technologies have created a strong interest in ultrathin, flexible, safe energy storage devices to meet the various design and power needs of flexible devices. To build fully flexible, robust and multi-faceted electrochemical energy storage and conversion system, multiple components with specific electrochemical and interfacial properties need to be integrated into a single unit. One of the critical components in these electrochemical energy storage and conversion system is the electrode material. Low-dimensional nanostructures such as nanotubes, nanowires, nanoparticles, nano-onions, graphene, and transition metal dichalcogenide are aggressively been pursued as viable candidates. Electrode design is seen as one of the ways to achieve high energy/power in electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems. Idea