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THE WISH LIST
What an ideal electrode needs
Electrical conductivity
Moves electrons in and out quickly
Large active surface area
More places to hold charge
Chemical stability
Survives the electrolyte, cycle after cycle
Mechanical durability
Doesn't crack, swell, or flake
Electrolyte compatibility
Ions can reach and wet the surface
No material maximizes all five — picking one means
deciding which to sacrifice.
THE MENU
Three material families
Transition metal oxides
Store charge through fast, reversible redox reactions
Conducting polymers
Store charge through reversible doping and dedoping
Carbon-based materials
Store charge mainly as an electric double layer
The first two are pseudocapacitive; carbon is the
workhorse of double-layer storage.
UNIT 9 STUDY COMPLETE
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Ready for the Fab Challenge?
You've covered the properties an ideal electrode needs, and the three families of materials to choose from.