A 3D all-solid-state microsupercapacitor with electrodes consisting of activated carbon/polymer electrolyte composite

A novel all-solid-state microsupercapacitor (MSC) with ~70-μm-thick three-dimensional electrodes consisting of activated carbon (AC) particles and polymer electrolyte (PE) was fabricated and tested in this study. Unique features of the present MSC design include: (i) a novel electrode material composed of PE and AC particles, which enhances the accessibility of the surface of AC particles by ions and results in high specific capacitance and high energy density, (ii) a short path for ions to access the nanoporous structure of AC particles via diffusion through surrounding PE, which results in high charge/discharge rate and high power density, and (iii) adequate electrode strength due to binding of the AC particles by PE. Preliminary results show that MSCs with AC/PE composite electrodes demonstrate good stability during repeated charge/discharge. The high energy density, high power density, and good cycling performance make all-solid-state MSCs with AC/PE electrodes excellent candidates for a wide range of energy storage applications.