Supercapacitors with new graphene outperform existing technologies

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A research team has developed an innovative graphene structure that significantly enhances the energy storage capacity and power output of supercapacitors. This achievement, published in Nature Communications, could bring this category of devices into widespread use — from electric vehicles and grid energy storage to everyday electronics.

Supercapacitors getting a second life
For years, supercapacitors have tempted the energy industry with the promise of lightning-fast charging and practically unlimited lifespan. Their main limitation, however, has been low energy density — the ability to store less energy than conventional batteries.

The new technology developed by the Australian team overcomes this barrier, allowing much greater utilization of the carbon surface responsible for charge accumulation in supercapacitors.

“All it takes is changing the thermal treatment process to unlock much greater potential of the carbon surface,” explains Professor Mainak Majumder, Director of the ARC Research Hub for Advanced Manufacturing with 2D Materials (AM2D). “This opens the way for fast charging while storing energy at levels that can compete with conventional batteries.”

New graphene architecture: M-rGO
The key to success is multiscale reduced graphene oxide (M-rGO) derived from natural graphite — a resource that Australia has in abundance. Using a rapid thermal annealing process, the team created a highly curved graphene structure with precisely controlled ion-transport channels.

The result? Rapid ion movement, record-high charging efficiency, and power delivery capability that conventional batteries cannot achieve.

Record-breaking performance demonstrated in real devices
When M-rGO was applied in commercial pouch-cell formats, researchers achieved:

  • Energy density: up to 99.5 Wh/L — comparable to traditional lead-acid batteries
  • Power density: up to 69.2 kW/L
  • Lightning-fast charging and excellent cycle stability

Dr. Petar Jovanović from the ARC AM2D Hub emphasizes that these are among the best parameters ever recorded for carbon-based supercapacitors — and importantly, the technology is scalable and uses raw materials readily available in Australia.

From laboratory to industry
Commercialization of the new technology is being handled by a Monash University spin-off, Ionic Industries. The company is already producing industrial quantities of the innovative graphene materials and running pilot deployments with energy-storage sector partners.

“We focus on applications where both high power and significant energy capacity are critical,” says Dr. Phillip Aitchison, CTO of Ionic Industries. “The potential of this technology is enormous, from electric transport to autonomous power systems.”

Significance for the energy transition
The breakthrough in supercapacitors is part of the global race for efficient, low-emission energy-storage technologies. Graphene-based solutions could:

  • Reduce electric vehicle charging times to minutes
  • Ease strain on power grids through rapid charge/discharge cycles
  • Enable the development of next-generation mobile electronics and industrial devices

For Australia, which possesses graphite resources and a growing 2D materials innovation ecosystem, this also represents a strategic opportunity to strengthen its position in the global clean-energy value chain.

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