Supercapacitors are energy storage devices that rely on the accumulation of ions in pores, and they have a short charging time and long service life compared to batteries. In recent years, the use of porous materials in energy storage systems has received increasing attention for the development of supercapacitors, and scientists have utilized a variety of chemical engineering techniques to study current movement in porous materials.
However, previous literature has only described the movement of ions in a pore. This new study, however, can simulate and predict the movement of ions in a complex network of thousands of interconnected pores in a matter of minutes. The researchers have experimentally discovered how tiny charged particles, called ions, move through a complex network of tiny pores, a breakthrough that will help develop more efficient energy storage devices such as supercapacitors.
The discovery modifies Kirchhoff's law, which has "governed" electric current in circuits since 1845, and is one of the most fundamental and important laws in textbook circuit theory. But unlike electrons, the movement of ions is affected by both electric fields and diffusion. The researchers found that ions move at the intersection of pores, unlike those described by Kirchhoff's law.
The new discovery is not only expected to lead to efficient charging equipment for cars, electronics and other products, but also has important implications for grid energy storage, which has a high level of fluctuating energy demand and a greater need for efficient energy storage so as to minimize wastage during periods of low demand and to ensure that supply is available quickly during periods of high demand.