7
Characterization and Diagnosis Techniques
for Electrochemical Supercapacitors
7.1 Introduction
In previous chapters, the structures and components of electrochemical
supercapacitors (ESs) and their associated designs, cells, and stacks have
been described. However, component characterization, performance testing,
and diagnosis are vital steps for optimizing and validating the technology.
Because a supercapacitor is a multi-component device, all the components
are required to fully play their individual roles and function together synergistically. To investigate the individual function of each component and
its synergistic effect, experimental characterization, testing, and diagnosis
techniques present the most reliable ways to validate the designs of supercapacitor components and entire devices. Several important electrochemical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry (CV), charging–discharge curves
(CDCs), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) using both conventional electrochemical and supercapacitor test cells have been used to
characterize, test, and diagnose supercapacitors.
In developing and optimizing new ES materials and components (electrode materials, electrolytes, and current collectors) based on their structures, morphologies, and performance, physical characterization using
sophisticated instrument methods serves as the necessary approach. These
instrumental methods are scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive
X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman
spectroscopy (RS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and the
Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) technique.
This chapter will introduce these techniques with a focus on their application for ES characterizations.
277
Characterization and Diagnosis Techniques
for Electrochemical Supercapacitors
7.1 Introduction
In previous chapters, the structures and components of electrochemical
supercapacitors (ESs) and their associated designs, cells, and stacks have
been described. However, component characterization, performance testing,
and diagnosis are vital steps for optimizing and validating the technology.
Because a supercapacitor is a multi-component device, all the components
are required to fully play their individual roles and function together synergistically. To investigate the individual function of each component and
its synergistic effect, experimental characterization, testing, and diagnosis
techniques present the most reliable ways to validate the designs of supercapacitor components and entire devices. Several important electrochemical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry (CV), charging–discharge curves
(CDCs), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) using both conventional electrochemical and supercapacitor test cells have been used to
characterize, test, and diagnose supercapacitors.
In developing and optimizing new ES materials and components (electrode materials, electrolytes, and current collectors) based on their structures, morphologies, and performance, physical characterization using
sophisticated instrument methods serves as the necessary approach. These
instrumental methods are scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive
X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman
spectroscopy (RS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and the
Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) technique.
This chapter will introduce these techniques with a focus on their application for ES characterizations.
277