Electrochemical characterization of hydrous ruthenium oxide thin-film electrodes for electrochemical capacitor applications

A hydrous ruthenium oxide (RuO(2)(.)xH(2)O), thin-film electrode with high specific capacitance and good high rate capability was prepared by electrostatic spray deposition for an electrochemical capacitor application. The X-ray diffraction measurements indicated that the as-prepared RuO(2)(.)xH(2)O transformed to crystalline RuO2 when annealed at temperatures over 200 degrees C. It was shown that the specific capacitance change during annealing is closely related to the change in the number of reaction sites. The specific capacitance of RuO(2)(.)xH(2)O increased from 510 F/g for the as-prepared thin film to a maximum value of 650 F/g and then decreased rapidly to 25 F/g during the annealing process as the structural water content was decreased. This pattern was explained in terms of the change in the number of reaction sites, as well as the change in the electron and proton conductivity during dehydration, on the basis of the structural model of a complex nanocomposite of rutile-like ruthenium oxide nanocrystals and structural water proposed by Dmowski et al. [J. Phys. Chem. B, 106, 12677 (2002)]. (c) 2006 The Electrochemical Society.