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Fabrication of Three-Dimensional Graphene-Based Polyhedrons via Origami-Like Self-Folding
Published on: September 23, 2018
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Operando interlayer expansion of multiscale curved graphene for volumetrically-efficient supercapacitors
Petar Jovanović1,2, Meysam Sharifzadeh Mirshekarloo3,4, Phillip Aitchison3,4
1Nanoscale Science and Engineering Laboratory (NSEL), Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia. petar.jovanovic@monash.edu.
Nature Communications
|September 15, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed multiscale graphene for supercapacitors, improving energy and power densities. This novel material enhances ion transport, overcoming limitations in compact energy storage devices.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Supercapacitors offer high power but suffer from low volumetric energy and power densities, limiting their use in compact applications.
- Two-dimensional materials like graphene have high packing density but face challenges with ion transport kinetics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer a novel graphene architecture for enhanced supercapacitor performance.
- To address the limitations of volumetric energy and power densities in supercapacitors.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of multiscale graphene via rapid thermal annealing of turbostratic graphene crystallites.
- Integration of curved crystallites and disordered domains within micron-size particles.
- Assembly of thin electrodes into symmetric pouch cell devices using ionic liquid and organic electrolytes.
Main Results:
- Achieved a high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area-normalized capacitance of 85 µF/cm² due to precise pore-ion matching and partial charge transfer.
- Demonstrated rapid ion transport dynamics within the curved crystallites and disordered domains of multiscale graphene.
- Delivered a stack-level volumetric energy density of 99.5 Wh/L (ionic liquid) and 49.2 Wh/L (organic electrolyte) with a power density of 69.2 kW/L.
Conclusions:
- Multiscale graphene architecture significantly enhances supercapacitor performance, particularly volumetric energy and power densities.
- The material's unique structure facilitates efficient ion transport, enabling high capacitance and rapid charge/discharge rates.
- This advancement holds promise for next-generation compact energy storage solutions.
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