Sol-gel technology and advanced electrochemical energy storage materials

Advanced materials play an important role in the development of electrochemical energy devices such as batteries, fuel cells, and electrochemical capacitors. Sol-gel process is a versatile solution technique used in the fabrication of ceramic materials with tailored stoichiometry, microstructure, and properties. This processing technique is particularly useful in producing porous materials with high surface area and low density, which are two of the most desirable characteristics for electrode materials. In addition, the porous surface of gels can be modified chemically to create tailored surface properties, and inorganic/organic microcomposites can be prepared for improved material performance and device fabrications. Applications of several sol-gel derived electrode materials in different energy storage devices are illustrated in this paper. V2O5 gels are shown to be a promising cathode material for solid state lithium batteries. Carbon aerogels, amorphous RuO2 gels, and sol-gel derived hafnium compounds have been studied as electrode materials for high energy density and high power density electrochemical capacitors.