New Electrochemical Characterization Methods for Nanocomposite Supercapacitor Electrodes

Supercapacitor electrodes fabricated from a nanocomposite consisting of multiwall carbon nanotubes and titanium oxide nanoparticles were characterized electrochemically. Conventional electrochemical characterizations cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge in a lithium-based electrolyte gave a specific capacitance of 345 F/g at a current density of 0.1 A/g. New electrochemical characterization techniques that allow one to obtain the peak capacitance associated with intercalation and to distinguish between electrostatic and faradaic charge storage are described and applied to the electrode measurements. Finally, the maximum energy density obtained was 31 Wh/kg.