New Insights into the Relationship between Micropore Properties, Ionic Sizes, and Electric Double-Layer Capacitance in Monolithic Carbon Electrodes

The effects of the pore properties and the ionic sizes on the electric double-layer capacitances have been investigated by using the monolithic carbon electrodes with different pore properties. The carbon monoliths with high surface areas which possess homogeneous pore properties in the whole monoliths were prepared from the bridged-polysilsesquioxane gels via the nanophase extraction technique. The detailed investigations of the pore properties of the carbon monoliths were conducted by the nitrogen physisorption measurement as well as the mercury porosimetry. The electrochemical property of each monolithic carbon electrode was examined by the cyclic voltammetry in the different aqueous electrolytes in order to investigate the effects of the ionic sizes. These fundamental analyses have provided new insights into the efficient micropore sizes in each electrolyte for the superior electric double-layer capacitors.