The new hybrid supercapacitor developed at UCLA stores large amounts of energy, recharges quickly and can last for more than 10,000 recharge cycles. (Image courtesy of UCLA’s California NanoSystems Institute)
The new hybrid supercapacitor developed at UCLA stores large amounts of energy, recharges quickly and can last for more than 10,000 recharge cycles. (Image courtesy of UCLA’s California NanoSystems Institute)
The new hybrid supercapacitor developed at UCLA stores large amounts of energy, recharges quickly and can last for more than 10,000 recharge cycles. (Image courtesy of UCLA’s California NanoSystems Institute)
The new hybrid supercapacitor developed at UCLA stores large amounts of energy, recharges quickly and can last for more than 10,000 recharge cycles. (Image courtesy of UCLA’s California NanoSystems Institute)
The new hybrid supercapacitor developed at UCLA stores large amounts of energy, recharges quickly and can last for more than 10,000 recharge cycles. (Image courtesy of UCLA’s California NanoSystems Institute)

Hybrid Battery/Supercap Endures 10,000-Plus Recharge Cycles

April 8, 2015
Battery and supercapacitor technologies were merged using a combination of nanomaterials to boost energy storage, enabling more than 10,000 recharge cycles.

Advances in mobiles and myriad other applications continue unabated, but battery development can’t seem to keep pace technologically. However, by combining the best qualities of batteries and supercapacitors, researchers at UCLA’s California NanoSystems Institute (with support from Nanotech Energy) created a new energy-storage medium that can last for more than 10,000 recharge cycles. Moreover, the combination of nanomaterials is able to store large amounts of energy and recharge quickly.

The microsupercapacitor merges laser-scribed graphene (LSG), a highly conductive material, with manganese dioxide, which is currently used in alkaline batteries to hold a charge. Extreme temperatures aren’t needed to fabricate the hybrid, and it doesn’t require the expensive dry rooms typically found in supercapacitor production. It’s so small—one-fifth the thickness of a sheet of paper—that it could be used in wearable or implantable devices. According to the research team, the supercapacitor has approximately six times the capacity of comparable supercaps.

Watch a video on the hybrid supercapacitor, curated by Engineering TV, below:

The research team, led by Professor Richard Kaner and postdoctoral scholar, Maher El-Kady, found that the new supercapacitor could quickly store an electrical charge generated by a solar cell during the day, hold the charge until evening, and power an LED overnight. It’s suited for applications such as off-grid street lighting, and has shown potential for improving personal electronics technology.

Sponsored Recommendations

Highly Integrated 20A Digital Power Module for High Current Applications

March 20, 2024
Renesas latest power module delivers the highest efficiency (up to 94% peak) and fast time-to-market solution in an extremely small footprint. The RRM12120 is ideal for space...

Empowering Innovation: Your Power Partner for Tomorrow's Challenges

March 20, 2024
Discover how innovation, quality, and reliability are embedded into every aspect of Renesas' power products.

Article: Meeting the challenges of power conversion in e-bikes

March 18, 2024
Managing electrical noise in a compact and lightweight vehicle is a perpetual obstacle

Power modules provide high-efficiency conversion between 400V and 800V systems for electric vehicles

March 18, 2024
Porsche, Hyundai and GMC all are converting 400 – 800V today in very different ways. Learn more about how power modules stack up to these discrete designs.

Comments

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Electronic Design, create an account today!