CEN 4481 Carbon Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion Systems

Carbon materials have been playing a significant role in the development of alternative clean and sustainable energy technologies due to their unique electrical properties and tailored porous structures. This course summarizes the structural properties and classification of carbon materials, recent techniques on the synthesis of porous carbons, and their application in energy storage and conversion. In particular, we will systematically discuss the porous structure, surface chemistry, and electrical properties of carbons as electrode materials for supercapacitors, lithium-ion batteries,  fuel cells, and other energy conversion devices.  The common challenges in developing simple, scalable, and environmentally friendly carbon materials and manufacturing processes, in controlling the nanoscale and high-level structures and functions, and in integrating such materials with suitable device architectures will be reviewed. Recent improvements in the area will be also discussed.