• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.308-312
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• 2013

Active carbons with high specific surface area and micro pore structure were prepared from the coconut shell char using the chemical activation method of NaOH. The preparation process has been optimized through the analysis of experimental variables such as activating chemical agents to char ratio and the flow rate of gas during carbonization. The active carbons with the surface area (2,481 $m^2/g$) and mean pore size (2.32 nm) were obtained by chemical activation with NaOH. The electrochemical performances of hybrid capacitor were investigated using $LiMn_2O_4$, $LiCoO_2$ as the positive electrode and prepared active carbon as the negative electrode. The electrochemical behaviors of hybrid capacitor using organic electrolytes ($LiPF_6$, $TEABF_4$) were characterized by constant current charge/discharge, cyclic voltammetry, cycle and leakage tests. The hybrid capacitor using $LiMn_2O_4$/AC electrodes had better capacitance than other hybrid systems and was able to deliver a specific energy as high as 131 Wh/kg at a specific power of 1,448 W/kg.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.129-137
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• 2013

From the cooked-rice as a raw material, activated carbons throughout a hydrothermal synthesis and vacuum soak of KOH for chemical activation were obtained. Activated carbon electrodes for electric double layer supercapacitors were prepared and electrochemical characteristics were examined. Including the specific surface area by BET method and pore size distribution by NLDFT method, physical properties of activated carbons were investigated by means of SEM, EDS, XRD, and TG analyses. Cycle voltammetry and AC-impedance measurements were conducted to confirm the electrochemical characteristics for the electrodes. From hydrothermal synthesis, $5{\sim}7{\mu}m$ diameters of spherical carbons were obtained. After the activation at $800^{\circ}C$, it was notable for the activated carbon to be the specific surface $1631.8cm^2/g$, pore size distribution in 0.9~2.1 nm, and micro-pore volume $0.6154cm^3/g$. As electrochemical characteristics of the activated carbon electrode in 6M KOH electrolyte, it was confirmed that the specific capacitances of 236, 194, and 137 F/g at the scan rate of 5, 100, and 500 mV/s respectively were exhibited and 91.2% of initial capacitance after 100,000 cycles at 200 mV/s was maintained.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.426-433
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• 2023

Capacitor performance was considered using coffee grounds-based activated carbon produced through oil extraction and KOH activation to increase the utilization of boiwaste. Oil extraction from coffee grounds was performed by solvent extraction using n-Hexane and isopropyl alcohol solvents. The AC_CG-Hexane/IPA produced by KOH activation after oil extraction increased the specific surface area by up to 16% and the average pore size by up to 2.54 nm compared to AC_CG produced only by KOH activation without oil extraction. In addition, the pyrrolic/pyridinic N functional group of the prepared activated carbon increased with the extraction of oil from coffee grounds. In the cyclic voltage-current method measurement experiment, the specific capacitance of AC_CG-Hexane/IPA at a voltage scanning speed of 10 mV/s is 133 F/g, which is 33% improved compared to the amorphous capacity of AC_CG (100 F/g). The results show improved electrochemical properties by improving the size and specific surface area of the mesopores of activated carbon by removing components from coffee grounds oil and synergistic effects by increasing electrical conductivity with pyrrolic/pyridinic N functional groups. In this study, the recycling method and application of coffee grounds, a bio-waste, is presented, and it is considered to be one of the efficient methods that can be utilized as an electrode material for high-performance supercapacitors.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.754-762
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• 1995

Strontium titanate(SrTiO$_3$) thin film was prepared on Si substrates by RF magnetron sputtering for a high capacitance density required for the next generation of LSTs. The optimum deposition conditions for SrTiO$_3$thin film were investigated by controlling the deposition parameters. The crystallinity of films and the interface reactions between SrTO$_3$film and Si substrate were characterized by XRD and AES respectively. High quality films were obtained by using the mixed gas of Ar and $O_2$for sputtering. The films were deposited at various bias voltages to obtain the optimum conditions for a high quality file. The best crystallinity was obtained at film thickness of 300nm with the sputtering gas of Ar+20% $O_2$and the bias voltage of 100V. The barrier layer of Pt(100nm)/Ti(50nm) was very effective in avoiding the formation of SiO$_2$layer at the interface between SrTiO$_3$film and Si substrate. The capacitor with Au/SrTiO$_3$/Pt/Ti/SiO$_2$/Si structure was prepared to measure the electric and the dielectric properties. The highest capacitance and the lowest leakage current density were obtained by annealing at $600^{\circ}C$ for 2hrs. The typical specific capacitance was 6.4fF/$\textrm{cm}^2$, the relative dielectric constant was 217, and the leakage current density was about 2.0$\times$10$^{-8}$ A/$\textrm{cm}^2$ at the SrTiO$_3$film with the thickness of 300nm.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.754-757
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• 2012

In this report, we fabricate the porous graphene films through embossing process and vacuum filtration method and demonstrate their superior electrochemical properties as supercapacitor electrode materials. Insertion/removal of polystyrene nanoparticles between the graphene sheets allows to provide pore structures, leading to the effective prevention of restacking in graphene films. As-prepared porous graphene films have a large surface area, a bicontinuous porous structures, high electrical conductivity, and excellent mechanical integrity. The electrochemical properties of the porous graphene films as electrode materials of supercapacitor are investigated by using aqueous $H_2SO_4$ and ionic liquid solution under three-electrode system. The porous graphene films exhibit a high specific capacitance (284.5 F/g), which is two-fold higher than that of packing graphene films (138.9 F/g). In addition, the rate capability (98.7% retention) and long-term cycling stability (97.2%) for the porous graphene films are significantly enhanced, due to the facilitated ion mobility between the graphene layers.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.739-744
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• 2012

In this work, we prepared the carbons from synthesized styrene-acrylonitrile carbon precursor. The prepared carbons were chemically activated, and then the activated SAN-based carbons were named as A-SANs. The activations were carried out at different temperatures to investigate the effect of activation temperature on the surface and electrochemical properties of the activated SAN-based carbons for using as an electrode of electric double layer capacitors (EDLC). The characteristics of A-SAN were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), surface area and pore size analysis. Also, the electrochemical behaviors were observed by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge method. From the results, the A-SAN 700 showed excellent electrochemical property and the highest specific capacitance, but these properties decreased when the activation temperature was above $700^{\circ}C$. This is due to the fact that the activation at a temperature over $700^{\circ}C$ causes deformation of micropore structures.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.439-443
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• 2016

In this report, $MnO_2$ nanoparticle-deposited functionalized graphene sheets were prepared and their superior electrochemical performances were demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge, and impedance analysis. Ionic liquids were employed to functionalize the surface of reduced graphene oxides (RGOs), leading to prevention of the aggregation of RGO sheets and abundant growth sites for deposition of $MnO_2$ nanoparticles. As-prepared $MnO_2/RGO$ nanocomposites were characterized using scanning electron microscope, transition electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Electrochemical properties of $MnO_2/RGO$ electrode were evaluated using $Na_2SO_4$ electrolyte under a three-electrode system. The $MnO_2/RGO$ electrode showed a high specific capacitance (251 F/g), a high rate capability (80.5% retention), and long-term stability (93.6% retention).

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.102-106
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• 2018

Recently, there has been an increasing interest in the use of graphene as electrode materials for supercapacitors. In this regard, graphene oxide (GO) films were prepared using GO slurry obtained by dispersing GO powder in deionized (DI) water. The degree of dispersion of GO powder in DI water depends on the concentration of GO slurry, pH, impurity content, GO particle size, types of functional groups contained in GO, and manufacturing method of GO powder. In this study, the dispersivity of the GO powder was improved by adjusting the pH using only DI water (without additives), and a uniform GO film was obtained. The GO film was reduced by exposure to xenon intense pulsed light for a few milliseconds, and the reduced GO film was used as electrodes of a supercapacitor. The supercapacitor was characterized using cyclic voltammetry (CV), charge-discharge cycle, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements, and the specific capacitance of the supercapacitor was found to be ~140 F/g from the CV data.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.293-298
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• 2016

A hydrogel electrolyte consisting of 6 M KOH aqueous solution, potassium polyacrylate (PAAK, 3 wt.%), and a hydrophilic silica OX50 (1 wt.%) was prepared to use as an electrolyte medium coated on a Scimat separator of activated carbon supercapacitor. The silica particle distributed homogeneously on surface pores of the separator to increase ionic conductivity and electrochemical stability of the hydrogel electrolyte. The silica addition also involved superior specific capacitance even at higher scan rates due to decrease in interfacial resistance between hydrogel electrolyte and activated carbon electrode.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.2683-2688
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• 2011

Silica-manganese oxides with a core-shell structure were synthesized via precipitation of manganese oxides on the $SiO_2$ core while varying the concentration of a precipitation agent. Elemental analysis, crystalline property investigation, and morphology observations using low- and high-resolution electron microscopes were applied to the synthesized silica-manganese oxides with the core-shell structure. As the concentration of the precipitating agent increased, the manganese oxide shells around the $SiO_2$ core sequentially appeared as $Mn_3O_4$ particles, $Mn_2O_3+Mn_3O_4$ thin layers, and ${\alpha}-MnO_2$ urchin-like phases. The prepared samples were assembled as electrodes in a supercapacitor with 0.1 M $Na_2SO_4$ electrolyte, and their electrochemical properties were examined using cyclic voltammetry and charge-discharge cycling. The maximum specific capacitance obtained was 197 F $g^{-1}$ for the $SiO_2-MnO_2$ electrode due to the higher electronic conductivity of the $MnO_2$ shell compared to those of the $Mn_2O_3$ and $Mn_3O_4$ phases.