Issue 17, 2015

A new approach for the improved interpretation of capacitance measurements for materials utilised in energy storage

Abstract

A simple galvanostatic circuit methodology is reported allowing the capacitance of an electrochemical electrolytic capacitor to be accurately measured, without recourse to expensive instrumentation. The method avoids problems found in current electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis, which give rise to profiles that may result in false or inaccurate derivation of the electrolytic capacitance. The advantages of this approach are that the circuit is easy and cheap to fabricate. The system is linear, regardless of the texture of the electrode and the type of electrolyte, and the measurement is direct so that no presumable equivalent circuit model is required. Such work is highly important for those developing new materials in energy storage, as it allows the reliable measurement of capacitance to be achieved without the need for expensive or complex instrumentation. This paper also highlights that users are more informed through checking capacitances using a variety of techniques, though such a circuit could in theory eliminate the need for affirmation of values utilising other electrochemical methods/techniques.

Graphical abstract: A new approach for the improved interpretation of capacitance measurements for materials utilised in energy storage

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
03 Dec 2014
Accepted
08 Jan 2015
First published
23 Jan 2015
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Adv., 2015,5, 12782-12791

A new approach for the improved interpretation of capacitance measurements for materials utilised in energy storage

D. K. Kampouris, X. Ji, E. P. Randviir and C. E. Banks, RSC Adv., 2015, 5, 12782 DOI: 10.1039/C4RA17132B

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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