Highly Mesoporous Carbon Electrodes for Electric Double-Layer Capacitors

Abstract

High Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method (BET) surface area and mesoporous activated carbons (ACs) were prepared by carbonization followed by activation of vinylidene chloride copolymer containing yttrium acetylacetonate Their performance as electrodes for electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) in nonaqueous electrolyte solution was evaluated and compared with those of commercial microporous ACs. The specific EDLC capacitances of the ACs with high BET surface area are higher than those of the low BET surface area ACs at low discharge current. At high discharge current, the capacitances of the mesoporous ACs are higher than those of microporous ones. This is attributed to smooth movement of organic electrolyte ions in mesopores. © 2003 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.