Transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are the subject of an emerging field in semiconductor research, with these materials offering a range of useful properties that include not only semiconductor applications, but also in superconducting material research and in supercapacitors. A recent number of papers have been published on these latter two applications, with [Rui] et al. demonstrating superconductivity in (InSe2)xNbSe2. The superconducting transition occurred at 11.6 K with ambient pressure.
Two review papers on transition metal sulfide TMDs as supercapacitor electrodes were also recently published by [Mohammad Shariq] et al. and [Can Zhang] et al. showing it to be a highly promising material owing to strong redox properties. As usual there are plenty of challenges to bring something like TMDs from the laboratory to a production line, but TMDs (really TMD monolayers) have already seen structures like field effect transistors (FETs) made with them, and used in sensing applications.
TMDs consist of a transition-metal (M, e.g. molybdenum, tungsten) and a chalcogen atom (X, e.g. sulfur) in a monolayer with two X atoms (yellow in the above image) encapsulating a single M atom (black). Much like with other monolayers like graphene, molybdenene and goldene, it is this configuration that gives rise to unexpected properties. In the case of TMDs, some have a direct band gap, making them very suitable for transistors and perhaps most interestingly also for directly growing 3D semiconductor structures.
Heading image: Crystal structure of a monolayer of transition metal dichalcogenide.(Credit: 3113Ian, Wikimedia)
The secret sauce will be how to grow and package ,Transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMD’s), for each application.Supper caps need the highest possible surface area, per gram, and cm³ in order to be competitive, and there is a lot of competition. The simple fact that
all possible materials can carry a charge, points to the inevitable creation of high energy density supper caps.And as supper caps are true solid state devices, with no chemical or mechanical changes durring charge/discharge cycles, life spans for these devices will be orders of magnitude longer, and saftey issues much much less than any existing technology.That the market for energy storage is unlimited/many trillions of dollars, the motivation to impliiment a solid state storage device is very high indeed.
“with no chemical or mechanical changes durring charge/discharge cycles”
That’s not really true. Electrons are added when charged and removed when discharged. That means ionisation, which is a chemical change.
And as the charge of each atom changes, the electromagnetic forces of the atoms change as well, which causes changes in their influence on each other. That are surely mechanical changes, the matrix is being mechanically stressed because some atoms will have a different electromagnetic charge than others at any given time.
If you are talking about the atomic level, then every change is (almost?) always both chemical and mechanical. Often hardly measurable and of not much consequence on the macro scale, but still calculable and real. And often having effects that can not be measured in the short term. Super Caps are not true solid state devices. They only seem to be when you don’t look too closely.
So I suggest you revise your story, acknowledge that there are still chemical and mechanical changes, but add evidence that those chemical and mechanical changes are not measurable on the macro scale in the short-term. But also acknowledge that there will still be an accumulated effect in the long run. Maybe accumulating small fractures in the matrix, due to the continuous fluctuations in the electromagnetic forces between the atoms when charging and discharging.
Maybe the matrix is self-healing, which would counteract that. That would be quite the revolution. I just wonder then how people expect to make money on something that will never fail. Probably the accumulated effect of mechanical and electromagnetic forces on the container will make people buy new ones. :)
Can it be used to make a super-heavy, super-colliding, super-button?