Capacitive characteristics and electrosorption of hydrogen in microporous aсtivated carbon fibers

The possibility of hydrogen electrosorption in microporous activated carbons for acidic and alkaline electrolytes is shown. The electrochemical behavior of activated carbon fiber CH-900-20 has been investigated to find out the main factors, which influence the charging processes of microporous electrodes. The following methods were used: cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, chronoamperometry, and chronopotentiometry. A comparative analysis of the influence of the electrolyte type and electrode structure on the capacitance performances of carbon has been carried out. It is assumed that there is a potential barrier at the interface between micropores and macropores. The features of the process of hydrogen electrosorption in carbon micropores have been analyzed in detail. A possible mechanism of electrosorption in micropores that decreases the capacitance of the electric double layer with a corresponding drop of the electronic conductance of activated carbons in acidic electrolytes has been suggested. The influence of temperature on the kinetics of hydrogen electrosorption has been shown and the activation energy of this process has been estimated. An assumption has been made about the influence of the semiconductor conductivity of activated carbons on the capacitive and resistive characteristics of the electrodes.