New Graphene Tech Powers Supercapacitors to Rival Traditional Batteries

3:19:21

2025-11-15

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Engineers have achieved a major milestone in the global effort to design energy storage systems that combine high speed with strong power output, opening new possibilities for electric vehicles, grid stabilization, and consumer electronics.

In a paper recently published in Nature Communications, the research team introduced a new type of carbon-based material that enables supercapacitors to store as much energy as traditional lead-acid batteries while delivering power at a much faster rate than conventional battery systems.

Unlocking the full potential of supercapacitors

Supercapacitors are an emerging form of energy storage that store electrical charge electrostatically rather than through chemical reactions, as batteries do. Historically, their efficiency has been limited because only a small portion of the carbon material’s surface area—the key factor for storing energy—has been available for use.

Professor Mainak Majumder, Director of the ARC Research Hub for Advanced Manufacturing with 2D Materials (AM2D), based in Monash’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, was a member of the research team.

“Our team has shown how to unlock much more of that surface area by simply changing the way the material is heat-treated,” said Professor Majumder.

“This discovery could allow us to build fast-charging supercapacitors that store enough energy to replace batteries in many applications, and deliver it far more quickly.”

Multiscale reduced graphene oxide: the key innovation

The secret lies in a new material architecture developed by the team, called multiscale reduced graphene oxide (M-rGO), which is synthesized from natural graphite – an abundant Australian resource.

Using a rapid thermal annealing process, the researchers created a highly curved graphene structure with precise pathways for ions to move quickly and efficiently. The result is a material that offers both high energy density and high power density – a combination rarely achieved in a single device.

Record-breaking performance and scalability

Dr Petar Jovanović, a research fellow in the ARC AM2D Hub and co-author of the study, said when assembled into pouch cell devices, the Monash supercapacitors delivered:

Volumetric energy densities reaching 99.5 Wh/L (using ionic liquid electrolytes)
Power densities as high as 69.2 kW/L
Rapid charging performance with excellent cycle stability

“These performance metrics are among the best ever reported for carbon-based supercapacitors, and crucially, the process is scalable and compatible with Australian raw materials,” Dr Jovanović said.

Dr Phillip Aitchison, CTO of Monash University spinout Ionic Industries, and a co-author of the study, said the technology is now being commercialized.

“Ionic Industries was established to commercialize innovations such as these, and we are now making commercial quantities of these graphene materials,” said Dr Aitchison.

“We’re working with energy storage partners to bring this breakthrough to market-led applications – where both high energy and fast power delivery are essential.”