ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the market challenges of electrochemical supercapacitors (ES) development efforts, followed by detailed discussions of the progress and technical challenges facing electrode and electrolyte material developments. It discusses the computational tools that can be utilized to supplement material development efforts. ESs will undoubtedly be integral components of future energy systems, but strong research and development efforts are required to develop novel system components to overcome the challenges and increase the economic feasibility of this emerging technology. The development of novel collector structures is also a feasible method for improving ES performance. For example, utilization of a carbon nanotube based collector was reported to produce very high capacitance values and cyclability. The development of ionic liquid electrolyte-based ESs is a promising approach but it is still in an infancy stage. With further research on carefully selected ionic liquid combinations and compatibility investigations with various electrode active materials, marked progress is expected for the ES industry.
