Using a hybrid silica sol-gel material and self-assembled monolayers of a common fatty acid, Georgia Tech researchers have developed a new supercapacitor material that provides electrical-energy storage capacity rivaling some batteries.
Capacitors can provide large amounts of current quickly (high power density), unlike batteries. So if this material can be scaled up from laboratory samples, devices made from it could surpass traditional electrolytic (high-capacity) capacitors for applications in areas where quick-discharge is needed, such as electromagnetic propulsion, electric vehicles, and defibrillators. The new material also has high energy density (ability, like batteries, to store a lot of power).
Bilayer Structure with Ultra-high Energy/Power Density Using Hybrid Sol-Gel Dielectric and Charge Blocking Monolayer. Advanced Energy Materials (2015) | DOI: 10.1002/aenm.201500767