What is claimed:
1. An energy storage device comprising:
a. A first and a second electrode, each electrode comprising a body in electrical communication with a current collector; and
b. an electrolyte;
wherein at least one body comprises a three-dimensionally porous matrix of alliform carbon particles, the alliform carbon particles comprising at least one concentric graphitic shell having at least 25% of the shell comprising sp2 carbon, the alliform carbon particles being substantially spherical in shape, without carbon nanotube appendages, and substantially physically connected;
said alliform carbon particles having a substantially unimodal size distribution with a mean particle diameter as measured by TEM photomicrograph image analysis of in a range of from 2 to 30 nanometers and
said alliform carbon particles having a mean specific surface area in the range of 250 to 750 m2g-1;
wherein the electrolyte physically contacts and is in electrical communication with said three-dimensionally porous matrix of alliform carbon particles; and
wherein the energy storage device exhibits capacitance when a voltage polarity is applied across the first and second electrodes.
2. The energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensionally porous matrix is substantially free of organic binder and has a mean pore size in a range of from 1 nm to 50 nm.
3. The energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of each body of three-dimensionally porous matrix of alliform carbon particles is independently in the range of 1 to 20 microns.
4. The energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte is contained within aqueous based solution.
5. The energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte is contained within a polar organic solvent comprising acetonitrile, γ-butyl lactone, dimethylformamide, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, dipropyl carbonate, ethylene carbonate, nitromethane, propylene carbonate, or sulfalone.
6. The energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises an anion-cation pair comprising a cation and an anion, wherein the cation comprises an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, a lanthanide, a tetraalkyl ammonium cation, aluminum or zinc and the anion comprises OH − , PF 6 − , ClO 4 − , BF 4 − , CF 3 SO 3 − , or SbF 6 − .
7. The energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrodes are superposed on a substrate and arranged in a planar array, with the electrolyte interposed between and physically separating said first and second electrodes, wherein said planar array is characterized as occupying a lateral planar area and having a vertical depth; and wherein the current collector of at least one electrode is positioned adjacent to the corresponding body of three-dimensionally porous matrix of alliform carbon particles.
8. The energy storage device of claim 7 , wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged in an interdigital arrangement, wherein each electrode comprises a plurality of interdigital electrode fingers, said interdigital electrode fingers each characterized as having a length, width, and vertical distance, and said interdigital arrangement characterized as having an interdigital spacing between said interdigital electrode fingers; wherein the widths of the interdigital electrode fingers of each electrode are independently in a range of from 20 nm to 10 millimeters.
9. The energy storage device of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device:
(a) maintains more than 95% of its original capacitance when the polarity of the electrodes is cycled more than 10,000 times; or
(b) exhibits a near-linear relationship between discharge current and scan rate up to a scan rate of at least 175 Vs −1 ; or
(c) exhibits a linear relationship between discharge current and scan rate up to and including scan rates which exceed 100 Vs −1 ; or
(d) a combination of (a), (b), and (c).
10. The energy storage device of claim 8 , wherein the widths of the interdigital electrode fingers of each electrode are in a range of from 100 nanometers micron to 1000 microns.
11. The energy storage device of claim 8 , wherein the widths of the interdigital electrode fingers of each electrode are in a range of from 100 micron to 500 microns.
12. The energy storage device of claim 9 , wherein the energy storage device maintains more than 95% of its original capacitance when the polarity of the electrodes is cycled more than 10,000 times.
13. The energy storage device of claim 9 , wherein the energy storage device exhibits a near-linear relationship between discharge current and scan rate up to a scan rate of at least 175 Vs −1 .
14. The energy storage device of claim 9 , wherein the energy storage device exhibits a linear relationship between discharge current and scan rate up to and including scan rates which exceed 100 Vs −1 .