超级电容器是近年来发展起来的一种新型储能装置。碳纳米管由于具有独特的中空结构,良好的导电性和高的比表面积,被认为是超级电容器理想的电极材料之一,引起了广泛的关注。通过介绍碳纳米管在超级电容器中的应用研究进展,评述了碳纳米管、活化碳纳米管、碳纳米管/金属氧化物复合物以及碳纳米管/导电聚合物复合物用做超级电容器电极材料的特点和性能。认为单纯的碳纳米管由于比表面积小,比容量偏低。化学活化可以显著提高碳纳米管的比表面积,增大其比电容。将碳纳米管与准电容材料金属氧化物或导电聚合物复合。可以发挥各自的优势,从而得到低成本、高性能的复合电极材料,将是今后发展的一个方向。
Supercapacitors are a new type of energy storage device that has seen great improvement in recent years. Due to their hollow cores, high electrical conductivity and high specific surface area, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are regarded as one of the most promising electrode materials for supercapacitors. In this paper, progress on the application of CNTs in supercapacitors is reviewed. The properties of CNTs, activated CNTs, CNT/ metal oxide composites and CNT/conductive polymer composites as electrode materials are discussed. The specific capacitance of supercapacitors based on CNTs is not very high because of their low specific surface area. Chemical activation of the CNTs can greatly enhance their specific surface area and hence enhance their specific capacitance. Composites of CNTs and pseudocapacitance materials (metal oxides or conducting polymers), which possess the desirable properties of both components, are promising electrode materials for supercapacitors because of their low cost and good properties.