Hierarchical Engineered Silicon Nanostructures for Supercapacitors

Engineered nanostructures have demonstrated exceptional performance in supercapacitors due to increased electrode surface area and improvement in ion transportation on the electrode surface. Research is underway to optimize nanostructures and develop scalable synthesis methods to further improve the performance and make them commercially feasible. Various materials such as carbon and metal oxides in the form of nanostructures have been employed for supercapacitor applications. However, for the application of on-chip supercapacitors, the above materials are incompatible with Si fabrication technology. In this context, silicon nanowires with large surface area and compatibility with Si could be promising. This chapter provides a comprehensive study and analysis of silicon nanowires for advanced supercapacitors. The focus is on fabrication of silicon nanowires with controlled size to achieve desirable electrochemical performance for practical applications. This chapter begins with a brief introduction to the supercapacitor and different electrode materials. The next section provides an analysis of the performance of silicon nanowires and the impact of their synthesis process on supercapacitor performance. Finally, further possible improvements and technological challenges related to supercapacitors are discussed.