Microsupercapacitors are not batteries but they can store energy. Traditional capacitors stores energy and release it quickly like camera flash
Researcher in Rice University discovered a technology that charges 50 times faster and discharge slower than traditional capacitors. This technology shows a long life and stable even though is bent 10,000 times (“Scientists see the light on microsupercapacitors: Laser-induced graphene makes simple, powerful energy storage possible”, 2015).
“It’s a pain in the neck to build microsupercapacitors now, They require a lot of lithographic steps. But these we can make in minutes: We burn the patterns, add electrolyte and cover them.”
-James Tour, Rice University Chemist
This technology is manufactured using commercial laster, burning electrode patterns on the plastic sheets which remove everything except few atoms thickness of carbon segment from the top layer. And this is the graphene, they called it laser-included graphene (LIG). Then the LIG sheets is treated with variety of chemicals and altered some of the graphene into positive and negative electrodes, and the two sheet types combined into a capacitors (Andrews, 2015).
Market
The market for supercapacitors is expected to grow $3.1 billion by 2026 as the demand for hybrid electrical vehicles and portable electronics. (DUBLIN, 2017)
Where is the product heading?
There is a similar supercapacitors that is created in Nanyang Technological Unversity in Singapore. Chen and his team managed to make a stretchable micro supercapacitors. He concludes that the graphene is the factor of storing energy. This stretchable micro-supercapacitors can be used in pressure or chemical sensors. The current version of this technology is test on LCD powered devices, and can only last for wa minute. (Cottingham, 2016)
Conclusion
This is a new discovery to store energy. Although it is not a type of battery, but the function is similar to battery, a energy storage systems. The problem of this technology is that our devices and vehicles still rely on batteries instead of capacitors. James Tour is convinced that supercapacitors will replace batteries in the future.
Reference:
- Andrews, R. (2015). Super Powerful, Laser-Made Graphene Capacitors Created In A Flash. Retrieved from http://www.iflscience.com/technology/super-powerful-laser-made-graphene-capacitors-created-flash/
- Cotthingham, K. (2016). Stretchy supercapacitors power wearable electronics. Retrieved from https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2016/august/stretchy-supercapacitors-power-wearable-electronics.html
- Scientists see the light on microsupercapacitors: Laser-induced graphene makes simple, powerful energy storage possible (2015). Retrieved from https://phys.org/news/2015-12-scientists-microsupercapacitors.html
- DUBLIN (2017). Global Supercapacitor Market to Reach $3.1 Billion by 2026 - Growing Demand for Micro Supercapacitors & Development of High Energy Density Supercapacitors - Research and Markets. Retrieved from https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-supercapacitor-market-to-reach-31-billion-by-2026---growing-demand-for-micro-supercapacitors--development-of-high-energy-density-supercapacitors---research-and-markets-300471639.html