SusCap_M-ERA.NET - PES-HORISONT-EU Project Establishment Support

In SusCap, we plan to develop next-generation sustainable supercapacitors (SCs) for energy storage and generation. SCs are electrochemical energy storage devices that charge faster and are more durable than batteries. They are applied, for example, for the regenerative braking of electric vehicles and stabilising sustainable but intermittent energy sources like solar and wind. Next-generation SCs can find broader and more intensive applications, such as generating electricity from waste heat or salinity differences. Hence, SusCap can help the European Union switch to clean energy and diversify its supplies. We will develop functionalised carbon-based electrodes for SCs, making them more sustainable and durable while increasing their power and energy densities. Our work on advanced carbon-based materials will have an impact beyond SCs, as these materials are used in virtually all technologies that shape our everyday lives - batteries, power generators, energy converters, health care, and medical products, to name a few. The project will encompass to design highly stable and sustainable carbon electrodes and modelling approaches by combining novel and well-established techniques. The materials will be modified with noble metals and their oxides. Their electronic and structural properties will be analysed and understood with modelling and tested electrochemically. Our simulation framework will help us find carbon electrode-electrolyte combinations that provide the best mechanical and electrochemical stability, highest energy and power density, and best heat-to-energy generation capabilities. The selected optimal devices will be tested for large-scale industrial production.