Properties of Electric Double‐Layer Capacitors with Various Polymer Gel Electrolytes

Polyethylene oxide (PEO), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) based gel electrolytes with a mixture of ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate as plasticizer and lithium perchlorate were used to fabricate an electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC). The performance of EDLCs with these gel electrolytes was investigated by using isotropic high-density graphite electrodes. The ion conductivities of various gel electrolytes were of the order of 10{sup {minus}4} to 10{sup {minus}3} S/cm, and they decreased in the order PAN > PEO > PMMA at ambient temperature. Capacitances approaching the value of EDLCs using organic liquid electrolyte, 20 mF/cm{sup 2}, with an isotropic high-density graphite electrode were obtained in PAN and PMMA gel electrolytes. The EDLC with PMMA-based gel electrolyte showed good charge-discharge behavior over 10{sup 4} cycles at a charge potential of 3.0 V. The rapid progress in the development of electric vehicles and electronic devices has placed increased demand on high-power capacitors. The EDLC is attractive as a rechargeable pulse power source or backup power supply for such applications.