Abstract
Supercapacitors are attractive electrochemical energy storage devices for high power applications. However, volumetric energy density is the main limitation for their integration in such applications as terrestrial transport systems. The use of high density pseudocapacitive oxides as electrode material could lead to a volumetric energy density improvement. With this aim, materials from Ba0,5Sr0,5CoxFe1-xO3-δ family, so called BSCFs, have been studied. Several compositions have been prepared and evaluated as positive electrode materials in aqueous neutral electrolyte. Volumetric capacitances have shown to be greater than those of activated carbons, already used in marketed supercapacitors. They have also shown to depend on cobalt and iron ratio, charge rate, electrolyte composition... The study of the charge storage mechanism in these materials has been investigated thanks to in situ (X-Ray absroption spectroscopy) and operando (X-Ray diffraction) technics performed at SOLEIL (France) and SPring-8 (Japan) synchrotron facilities. Finally, devices coupling BSCF based positive electrode material with activated carbon or FeWO4 based negative electrode materials have demonstrated the added value of such materials to improve the volumetric energy density of supercapacitors.