Abstract

To examine the effects of a two-cation ionic liquid as an electrolyte component of a supercapacitor, 1,4-bis(3-methylimidazolium-1-yl)butane tetrafluoroborate ($MIBBF_4$), dissolved in propylene carbonate (PC) or acetonitrile (ACN), is newly synthesized and tested here for potential use as an electrolyte of capacitor. The $MIBBF_4$ salt exhibits higher ionic conductivity in ACN than in PC. The supercapacitive properties of capacitors containing an activated carbon electrode and various electrolytes are evaluated using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The capacitor adopting the $MIBBF_4$/ACN electrolyte shows the largest specific capacitance at low scan rates, whereas the capacitor adopting the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate $(EMIBF_4)$/ACN electrolyte shows the largest specific capacitance at high scan rates.