Abstract
Supercapacitors are electric devices able to deliver a large power, enabling their use e.g. for the recovery of breaking energy in cars. This is achieved by using two carbon electrodes and an electrolyte solution or a pure ionic liquid (Room Temperature Ionic Liquid, RTIL). Energy is stored by the adsorption of ions at the surface of the electrodes, but the microscopic mechanism underlying the exceptional performance of Carbide Derived Carbon (CDC) electrodes remained unknown. Using molecular simulation with realistic electrode structures and under constant voltage conditions, we investigate the effect of confinement and solvation on the microscopic charging mechanism. We further analyse the dynamics of the charging process and make the link with equivalent circuit models used by electrochemists.