Tetramethylammonium difluoro(oxalato)borate dissolved in ethylene/propylene carbonates as electrolytes for electrochemical capacitors

Abstract Tetramethyl ammonium difluoro(oxalato)borate (TMADFOB) dissolved in the mixed solvents of ethylene and propylene carbonates (EC/PC) instead of neat PC have been proposed as the electrolyte solutions for electrochemical capacitors. The ionic conductivity of 1 M TMADFOB-EC/PC electrolyte solutions has been measured. It climbs up monotonously as EC content increases. Accordingly, the power density of electric double-layer capacitors is enhanced with certain EC addition. The optimum EC content for the power of EDLCs is about 30 volume percentage in the mixed EC/PC solvents. This tendency has been testified by impedance study. The electrochemical behavior of activated carbon/graphite capacitors using these electrolyte solutions has also been studied by galvanostatic charge–discharge test and the charge storage mechanism at the graphite positive electrode has been investigated by in situ XRD and ex situ Raman. The effect of EC addition on DFOB − intercalation into graphite has also been addressed at both room and elevated temperatures.