Micro-supercapacitors (MCs) are miniaturized energy storage devices that can enhance the performance of wearable health devices, medical implants, wireless sensors, and micro-electromechanical systems due to their fast frequency response, long life cycle, and vast temperature operation. However, to make these MC systems into commercially feasible products, necessary improvements to current MC performance are necessary, primarily in increasing the energy density. Reducing the electrode materials’ dimension is the most effective approach to boost the performance of MCs. Graphene quantum dots (QDs) have already shown improved response over conventional MCs. This work aims to develop QDs from MXene, a class of layered transition metal carbides, carbonitrides or nitrides. These MXene QDs will increase the energy density of MCs by twofold and optimize their electrochemical performance for commercial viability. MXene of an optimized size for QDs will be produced using environmentally friendly etching methods. MXene QDs with different terminations will then be prepared and used as electrodes to fabricate MCs and to evaluate the capacitance and stability. Density Functional Theory (DFT) methods will be used to examine the physical properties of the materials and further understand the experimental results. The MCs that display the best performance will be assembled to study their characteristics further. The research will provide a green synthesis protocol of MXene and accelerate the discovery of optimized MXene QD materials. Moreover, the MXene QD MC devices will have increased energy storage performance and durability, ideally suited for the next generation of wearable health devices and clean energy storage.
Figure 1. Aiping Yu, Professor and University Research Chair. She is the recipient of the prestigious NSERC Steacie Fellowship and RSC Rutherford Medal, as well as listed in the 2022 World’s Top 2% Scientist database published by John Ioannidis at Stanford. Her research mainly focuses on 2D and carbon nanomaterials synthesis and surface tailoring for various applications, including supercapacitors, batteries, CO2 reduction, and polymer composites for EMI shielding and anti-corrosion.
Related Content
Quantum Light Sources Based on Deterministic Photon Subtraction
Summary This project develops new sources of light that utilize quantum entanglement to enhance imaging resolution and detection. We aim to go beyond simple photon pairs and advance our understanding and control of new quantum states of light. Our approach uses deterministic single-photon subtraction (removing of a specific photon from a pulse of light) […]
July 13, 2018
Cryo-CMOS to Control and Operate 2D Fault-Tolerant Qubit Network
Summary Large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computation requires precise and stable control of individual qubits. This project will use complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology to provide a cost-effective scalable platform for reliable and high-density control infrastructure for silicon spin qubits. We will use sub-micron CMOS technology to address device and circuit-level challenges and explore the integration of […]
June 14, 2018
On-Chip Microwave-Optical Quantum Interface
Summary In this project we develop a quantum interface between microwave and optical photons as a key enabling technology of a hybrid quantum network. In such a network, the robust optical photons carry quantum information through optical fibres over long distances, while superconducting microwave circuits protected from thermal photon noise by the low temperature […]
October 29, 2018
Scanning Tunneling Microscopy of Quantum Materials, Devices and Molecules
Summary This project advances our ability to characterize and study novel quantum materials, quantum devices, and even individual molecules at the atomic level. By combining Non-Contact Atomic Force Microscopy (NC-AFM), Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) and scanning gate methods, we correlate spatial information with transport properties and can locally manipulate charge, spin and structural states. […]
January 28, 2019