Novel semiconductor materials for advanced wide temperature range supercapacitors

Abstract

Wide temperature range energy storage devices (ESDs) have attracted extensive attention in recent years. Semiconductor materials are commonly employed in room temperature supercapacitors because of their well-controllable conductivity and chemical stability. In addition to wide bandgap semiconductors (SiC, GaN, and AlN) which have made significant contributions in the field of high-temperature energy storage, ESDs with specifically prepared semiconductor materials and appropriate electrolyte or semiconductor materials with an energy conversion effect exhibit remarkable flexibility in low temperature conditions, rendering semiconductors quite valuable for research purposes concerning energy storage throughout a broad temperature range. Firstly, a thorough overview of the many kinds of electrode materials and electrolytes, as well as electrochemical principles and temperature-dependent characteristics are introduced to propose design strategies for SCs at different temperatures. The following section provides an overview of the application of semiconductor materials and electrolytes in supercapacitors, emphasizing their performance across a range of temperatures. Finally, a summary and outlook are provided about the difficulties and potential uses of semiconductors as electrode materials for energy storage at both high and low temperatures. This work offers a novel concept for wide-temperature semiconductor materials used in energy storage. Findings will be of interest and benefit to researchers and manufacturers for creative preparation of ESDs using semiconductor-based electrode materials.