Mazloomian, Katrina; (2024) A Multi-length Scale Study on Supercapacitors: From Innovative Materials Synthesis to Commercial Device Evaluation. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

Text Katrina Mazloomian - Final PhD Thesis.pdf - Published Version Access restricted to UCL open access staff until 1 December 2025. Download (11MB)

Abstract

In recent years, supercapacitors have generated widespread interest because of their unique role as high power density electrochemical devices. Though they are a valuable addition to the portfolio of energy storage devices being studied, supercapacitors continue to receive far less attention in research as compared to batteries, especially at a commercial scale. However, it is important to consider that supercapacitors differ enough in their construction and electrical characteristics from Li-ion batteries to warrant a discussion to specifically address their performance, safety and reliability. For these reasons, this thesis is focused on understanding the current limitations of commercial supercapacitor cells on the market today through degradation analysis and abuse testing as well as investigating novel material synthesis methods for producing new high-performance electrodes. The first part of this work focuses on understanding key degradation mechanisms through the study of the rapid calendar aging of a commercial pseudocapacitor. Part two and three are aimed at carrying out rigorous abuse testing of an EDLC to identify the cell’s vulnerabilities and establish a pattern of behavior under simulated failure scenarios. The investigation looks at situations where the cell undergoes mechanical damage (nail penetration), electrical damage (overcharge, overdischarge, short circuit) and thermal damage (local heating). Finally, to further promote the research of materials utilized in commercial devices, a new engineering approach for synthesizing MnOx/activated carbon nanocomposite electrode materials is explored. The effectiveness of the technique utilizing a “metal-ammonia” solution-based method for supercapacitor applications is reported on for the first time and the results reveal a good tradeoff between ion mobility and redox activity that have produced excellent performance characteristics. Overall, this work is aimed at advancing the study of supercapacitors from both a materials synthesis and evaluation of current market devices perspective with the hope of influencing the future design of safer and more reliable devices.

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