Research Highlights Details

Development of Structural Electrolytes Using Local Saudi Resources for Energy Storage

Electrode materials are essential for the production of conventional supercapacitors. Electrolytes are also important components required for structural supercapacitors (SSCs). In fact, structural electrolytes are required to combine load-bearing mechanical properties and ionic conductivities, which aims to realize the integration of electrochemical-mechanical properties to enhance the performance of SSCs. The common structural electrolytes are ionic liquid-based electrolytes acting as ionic conductive phases and polymer materials acting as structural components. However, they are not very suitable for civil engineering applications. For civil engineering applications, SSCs in the form of cement-matrix composites are relevant. However, one of the most significant challenges in the application of such SSCs is to develop structural electrolytes in the form of inorganic cementitious materials-based electrolytes, which should possess excellent mechanical properties, ionic conductivity, and good compatibility with electrodes. Therefore, a new structural electrolyte based on locally available resources with a high strength and a better ionic conductivity for building applications will be developed in this project.