KIST carbon nanotube supercapacitor holds capacity after 100,000 cycles

Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) researchers, working with Seoul National University, say they have designed a fiber‑based supercapacitor that endures more than 100,000 charge‑discharge cycles without performance loss and stays stable in high‑voltage settings.

“This technology overcomes the shortcomings of supercapacitors by using single‑walled carbon nanotubes and conductive polymers,” said Bon‑Cheol Ku, Ph.D., the KIST project co‑leader, in an announcement.

The device pairs single‑walled carbon nanotubes with the conductive polymer polyaniline (PANI), a combination the team contends boosts both electron and ion transport compared with today’s commercial supercapacitors. The published study in Composites Part B: Engineering reports a specific capacitance of 1,714 F g^‑1 at 1 A g^‑1 and an energy density of 418 Wh kg^‑1 at a power density of 11,740 W kg^‑1.

The abstract notes that the engineered composite structure ‘ensures uniform PANI distribution across the fiber, facilitating the formation of nanoscale electrochemical cell.’ This design ‘allows most of the PANI, even the PANI present inside the fiber, to participate in the electrochemical reactions.

Supercapacitors typically charge faster and deliver higher power than batteries but tend to suffer from lower energy density. These traits limit roles in electric vehicles and drones. The researchers argue their nanoscale bonding method could narrow that gap and eventually complement, or even replace, some battery systems.

This technology overcomes the shortcomings of supercapacitors by using single-walled carbon nanotubes and conductive polymers. —Bon-Cheol Ku, Ph.D.

The researchers also report progress toward rollable, film‑like formats aimed at wearable electronics and claim that incorporating inexpensive polyaniline could make large‑scale manufacturing feasible.

Patent applications are pending. Funding came from multiple South Korean science and industry ministries.

Supercapacitors have long attracted attention for their potential to deliver high power and long cycle life, especially as part of the broader search for alternatives to traditional battery technologies. As far back as 2011, R&D World covered parallel efforts in energy-efficient computing, such as AMD’s work with the Multicore Association to standardize low-power, high-performance processor designs.