Advances in in-situ characterizations of electrode materials for better supercapacitors

In past decades, the performance of supercapacitors has been greatly improved by rationalizing the electrode materials at the nanoscale. However, there is still a lack of understanding on how the charges are efficiently stored in the electrodes or transported across the electrolyte/electrode interface. As it is very challenging to investigate the ion-involved physical and chemical processes with single experiment or computation, combining advanced analytic techniques with electrochemical measurements, i.e., developing in situ characterizations, have shown considerable prospect for the better understanding of behaviors of ions in electrodes for supercapacitors. Herein, we briefly review several typical in situ techniques and the mechanisms these techniques reveal in charge storage mechanisms specifically in supercapacitors. Possible strategies for designing better electrode materials are also discussed. (C) 2020 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The performance of supercapacitors has improved significantly by rationalizing electrode materials at the nanoscale. However, the efficient storage of charges in electrodes or transport across the electrolyte/electrode interface remains poorly understood. Developing in situ characterizations combining advanced analytic techniques with electrochemical measurements holds promise for better understanding ion behaviors in supercapacitor electrodes.