The reporter learned from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics that Professor Li Weiwei of the school and Academician Nan Cewen of Tsinghua University have jointly developed a new type of dielectric energy storage material, whose energy density is dozens to hundreds of times that of mainstream commercial dielectric energy storage materials, and is expected to become the core device of the next generation of high-power pulse technology. The top international academic journal Science published relevant results online on April 11.

　　Li Weiwei introduced that dielectric energy storage capacitors can be seen everywhere in life. They can instantly release energy and are a veritable "power multiplier". It can be found in small quantities, from integrated circuit boards, cardiac defibrillators, to new energy vehicles and wind power stations.

　　At present, due to the electrochemical properties of traditional materials, mainstream commercial capacitors have a contradiction that power density and energy density cannot be achieved at the same time. "That is, although their power density is high, their energy density is low and they are easily broken down. We want to study a new material with high power density and energy density, which can ensure safety while charging and discharging quickly," said Li Weiwei.

　　This is a sample of the new dielectric energy storage material taken on April 10. (Photo provided by Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics)

　　After more than three years of exploration, the research team designed a dendritic nanocomposite structure and developed a new dielectric energy storage material sample with a side length of 5 mm, with several energy storage units distributed on it, each unit having a diameter of 30 microns. In the experiment, the sample was instantaneously discharged in only 3.3 microseconds, and the charge and discharge cycle reached 10 billion times. It can still work stably in an environment of minus 100 degrees Celsius to 170 degrees Celsius above zero.

　　"More importantly, the energy density of the sample reaches 215.8 joules per cubic centimeter, while the energy density of mainstream commercial capacitors is only 1.2 joules to 5 joules per cubic centimeter." Li Weiwei said that the next step is that the team plans to develop larger silicon-based capacitors and move steadily towards the goal of industrialization. (Reporter Chen Xiyuan)

[Editor in charge: Wang Mengmeng]