Supercapacitors based on carbon foams

Claim 2

A capacitor having an electrode comprising a carbon foam.

Claim 3

An electrode comprising a carbon foam derived from the pyrolysis of mixtures consisting of resorcinol-furfural, resorcinol-formaldehyde, phenol-resorcinol-formaldehyde, catechol-formaldehyde, and phloroglucinol-formaldehyde, the foam having a density of between about 0.1 g/cc to about 1.2 g/cc and a surface area of between about 100 m 2 /g to about 1200 m 2 /g.

Claim 4

An electrode comprising a carbon foam derived from the pyrolysis of mixtures consisting of resorcinol-furfural, resorcinol-formaldehyde, phenol-resorcinol-formaldehyde, catechol-formaldehyde, and phloroglucinol-formaldehyde, the foam having a density of between about 0.1 g/cc to about 1.2 g/cc and a surface area of between about 100 m 2 /g to about 1200 m 2 /g.

Claim 5

An electrode according to claim 2, wherein the carbon foam is an aerogel.

Claim 6

An electrode according to claim 2, wherein the carbon foam is a xerogel.

Claim 7

An electrode according to claim 2, wherein the carbon foam is a xerogel-aerogel hybrid.

Claim 8

An electrode according to claim 2, wherein the carbon foam comprises an electrically conductive additive.

Claim 9

An electrode according to claim 2, wherein the carbon foam comprises a formatted carbon matrix.

Claim 10

An electrode according to claim 2, wherein the carbon foam includes electroactive surface groups.

Claim 11

An electrode according to claim 2, wherein the carbon foam comprises an activated carbon matrix.

Claim 12

An electrode according to claim 2, wherein the carbon foam comprises a carbon matrix having electroactive surface groups.

Claim 13

A capacitor, comprising: a) a first electrode, the first electrode comprising a conductive material; b) a second electrode, the second electrode comprising a carbon foam; and c) an electrode separator disposed between the electrodes, the electrode separator comprising an electrically nonconductive, ionically conductive material.

Claim 14

A capacitor, comprising: a) a first electrode, the first electrode comprising a conductive material; b) a second electrode, the second electrode comprising a carbon foam; and c) an electrode separator disposed between the electrodes, the electrode separator comprising an electrically nonconductive, ionically conductive material.

Claim 15

A capacitor according to claim 11, wherein the carbon foam of the second electrode comprises a carbon aerogel.

Claim 16

A capacitor according to claim 11, wherein the carbon foam of the second electrode comprises a carbon xerogel.

Claim 17

A capacitor according to claim 11, wherein the carbon foam of the second electrode comprises a carbon aerogel-xerogel hybrid.

Claim 18

A capacitor according to claim 11, wherein the carbon foam of the second electrode comprises a formatted carbon matrix.

Claim 19

A capacitor according to claim 11, wherein the carbon foam of the second electrode comprises an electrically conductive additive.

Claim 20

A capacitor according to claim 11, wherein the carbon foam of the second electrode comprises a carbon matrix having electroactive surface groups.

Claim 21

A capacitor according to claim 11, wherein the carbon foam of the second electrode comprises an activated carbon matrix.

Claim 22

A capacitor according to claim 11, wherein the capacitor further comprises a metal layer, the layer being disposed on the second electrode to establish electrical contact.

Claim 23

The capacitor of claim 11, wherein the first electrode comprises a carbon foam.

Claim 24

A capacitor of claim 11, wherein the second electrode comprises a carbon form derived from the pyrolysis of mixtures consisting of resorcinol-furfural, resorcinol-formaldehyde, phenol-resorcinol-formaldehyde, catechol-formaldehyde, and phloroglucinol-formaldehyde, the foam having a density of between about 0.1 g/cc to about 1.2 g/cc and a surface area of between about 100 m 2 /g to about 1200 m 2 /g.

Claim 25

A capacitor, the capacitor comprising: a) a plurality of cells, each cell comprising: i) a first electrode, the first electrode comprising a conductive material; ii) a second electrode, the second electrode comprising a carbon foam; and iii) an electrode separator disposed between the electrodes, the electrode separator comprising an electrically nonconductive, ionically conductive material; and b) an electrical connection between the cells.

Claim 26

A capacitor, the capacitor comprising: a) a plurality of cells, each cell comprising: i) a first electrode, the first electrode comprising a conductive material; ii) a second electrode, the second electrode comprising a carbon foam; and iii) an electrode separator disposed between the electrodes, the electrode separator comprising an electrically nonconductive, ionically conductive material; and b) an electrical connection between the cells.

Claim 27

A capacitor according to claim 22, wherein the capacitor further includes an environmental seal to protect the capacitor from ambient conditions.

Claim 28

A capacitor, comprising: a) a first cell, the first cell comprising: i) first and second electrodes, the electrodes comprising carbon aerogels; ii) a first electrode separator disposed between the electrodes, the first electrode separator being comprised of an electrically nonconductive, ionically conductive material; iii) a first metal coating adhering to the electrodes; iv) a first solder-wettable coating provided on the first metal coatings; and b) a second cell, the second cell comprising: i) first and second electrodes, the electrodes comprising carbon aerogels; ii) a second electrode separator disposed between the electrodes, the second electrode separator being comprised of an electrically nonconductive, ionically conductive material; iii) a second metal coating adhering to the electrodes; iv) a second solder-wettable coating provided on the second metal coatings; and c) an electrical connection between the first and second cells.

Claim 29

A capacitor, comprising: a) a first cell, the first cell comprising: i) first and second electrodes, the electrodes comprising carbon aerogels; ii) a first electrode separator disposed between the electrodes, the first electrode separator being comprised of an electrically nonconductive, ionically conductive material; iii) a first metal coating adhering to the electrodes; iv) a first solder-wettable coating provided on the first metal coatings; and b) a second cell, the second cell comprising: i) first and second electrodes, the electrodes comprising carbon aerogels; ii) a second electrode separator disposed between the electrodes, the second electrode separator being comprised of an electrically nonconductive, ionically conductive material; iii) a second metal coating adhering to the electrodes; iv) a second solder-wettable coating provided on the second metal coatings; and c) an electrical connection between the first and second cells.

Claim 30

A capacitor according to claim 24, wherein at least one of the electrodes comprises a carbon aerogel.

Claim 31

A capacitor according to claim 24, wherein at least one of the electrodes comprises a carbon xerogel.

Claim 32

A capacitor according to claim 24, wherein at least one of the electrodes comprises a carbon aerogel-xerogel hybrid.

Claim 33

A capacitor according to claim 24, wherein at least one of the electrodes comprises a formatted carbon matrix.

Claim 34

A capacitor according to claim 24, wherein at least one of the electrodes comprises an electrically conductive additive.

Claim 35

A capacitor according to claim 24, wherein at least one of the electrodes comprises a carbon matrix having electroactive surface groups.

Claim 36

A capacitor according to claim 24, wherein at least one of the electrodes comprises an activated carbon matrix.

Claim 37

A capacitor according to claim 24, wherein the capacitor further includes an environmental seal disposed around the cells to provide protection against ambient conditions.

Claim 38

In a process for preparing high density carbon aerogels derived from the pyrolysis of organic aerogels, the improvement comprising: a) exchanging the gel with a solvent under predetermined nonsupercritical temperature and pressure conditions; and b) extracting the gel under predetermined nonsupercritical temperature and pressure conditions to form an aerogel.

Claim 39

In a process for preparing high density carbon aerogels derived from the pyrolysis of organic aerogels, the improvement comprising: a) exchanging the gel with a solvent under predetermined nonsupercritical temperature and pressure conditions; and b) extracting the gel under predetermined nonsupercritical temperature and pressure conditions to form an aerogel.