Novel inexpensive, light, flexible, and even rollup or wearable devices are required for multi-functional portable electronics and developing new versatile and flexible electrode materials as alternatives to the materials used in contemporary batteries and supercapacitors is a key challenge. Here, binder-free activated carbon （AC）/carbon nanotube （CNT） paper electrodes for use in advanced supercapacitors have been fabricated based on low-cost, industrial-grade aligned CNTs. By a two-step shearing strategy, aligned CNTs were dispersed into individual long CNTs, and then 90 wt%-99 wt% of AC powder was incorporated into the CNT pulp and the AC/CNT paper electrode was fabricated by deposition on a filter. The specific capacity, rate performance, and power density of the AC/CNT paper electrode were better than the corresponding values for an AC/acetylene black electrode. The capacity reached a maximum value of 267.6 F/g with a CNT loading of 5 wt%, and the energy density and power density were 22.5 W.h/kg and 7.3 kW/kg at a high current density of 20 A/g. The AC/CNT paper electrode also showed a good cycle performance, with 97.5% of the original capacity retained after 5000 cycles at a scan rate of 200 mV/s. This method affords not only a promising paper-like nanocomposite for use in low-cost and flexible supercapacitors, but also a general way of fabricating multi-functional paper-like CNT-based nanocomposites for use in devices such as flexible lithium ion batteries and solar cells.
Carbon nanotubes(CNTs) are nanomaterials that have attracted great research interest because of their unique properties and promising applications.The controllable synthesis of CNTs is a precondition for their broad application.In this review,we consider nanoscale process engineering and assess recent progress in the mass production of ultra-long,inexpensive CNTs with good alignment as well as tunability in wall number and diameter for fundamental and engineering science applications across multiple scales.Cutting-edge nanoscale process engineering research in the areas of physics,chemistry,materials,engineering,ecology,and social science will allow us to obtain high added value and multi-functional advanced CNTs.The synthesis of CNTs with controllable chirality,good-alignment,and predetermined sizes and lengths still presents great challenges.Through multidisciplinary scientific research,advanced CNT-based materials will promote the development of a sustainable society.
In this topic, we first discussed the requirement and performance of supercapacitors using carbon nanotubes （CNTs） as the electrode, including specific surface area, purity and cost. Then we reviewed the preparation technique of single wailed CNTs （SWNTs） in relatively large scale by chemical vapor deposition method. Its catalysis on the decomposition of methane and other carbon source, the reactor type and the process control strategies were discussed. Special focus was concentrated on how to increase the yield, selectivity, and purity of SWNTs and how to inhibit the formation of impurities, including amorphous carbon, multiwalled CNTs and the carbon encapsulated metal particles, since these impurities seriously influenced the performance of SWNTs in supercapacitors. Wish it be helpful to further decrease its product cost and for the commercial use in supercapacitors.
