Transition metal carbide or nitride or boride based supercapacitors with metal foam electrode substrate

1. An electrode comprising:

a foam substrate comprising a plurality of pores; and

an active material infiltrated throughout the foam substrate and disposed within the plurality of pores, wherein the active material comprises any of a metal nitride, a metal oxynitride, a metal carbide, a metal oxycarbide, a metal boride, a metal oxyboride, and combinations thereof, and wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of Groups III, IV, V, VI, or VII of the Periodic Table, and the active material is electrically coupled with the foam substrate.

2. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the foam substrate comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of Group IV, V, VI, VII, and VIII of the Periodic Table.

3. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the foam substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of nickel, nickel alloys, copper, copper alloys, carbon, and combinations thereof.

4. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the active material comprises vanadium nitride.

5. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the foam substrate has a pore size of about 50 microns to about 4000 microns.

6. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the foam substrate has a pore size of about 450 microns to about 1200 microns.

7. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the foam substrate has a pore size of about 580 microns to about 800 microns.

8. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the foam substrate comprises struts having a length of between 50 microns and 4000 microns.

9. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the electrode comprises about 30 wt % to about 95 wt % of active material, based on the total weight of the electrode.

10. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the active material has a particle size of about 0.5 microns to about 500 microns.

11. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the foam substrate is calendered up to about 80%.

12. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein prior to infiltration of the active material, the foam substrate has a porosity of about 25% to about 98%.

13. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein prior to infiltration of the active material, the foam substrate has a porosity of about 90% to about 95%.

14. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the foam substrate has a thickness of about 0.2 mm to about 4 mm.

15. A supercapacitor comprising

the electrode of claim 1 ;

a counter electrode;

a separator; and

an electrolyte,

wherein the supercapacitor having a symmetric configuration.

16. The supercapacitor of claim 15 , wherein the electrolyte is an aqueous electrolyte.

17. A supercapacitor comprising:

the electrode of claim 1 ;

a counter electrode;

a separator; and

an electrolyte,

wherein the supercapacitor having an asymmetric configuration.

18. A supercapacitor of claim 17 , wherein the counter electrode comprises an active material selected from the group consisting of manganese oxide, ruthenium oxide, nickel oxyhydroxide, and cobalt oxide.

19. The supercapacitor of claim 17 , wherein the electrolyte is an aqueous electrolyte.

20. A method of making an electrode, the method comprising:

impregnating a foam substrate with an active material precursor, wherein the foam substrate includes a plurality of pores and the active material precursor is dispersed into the foam substrate such that it becomes disposed within the pores; and

reacting the active material precursor infiltrated foam substrate with a reductant under conditions sufficient to convert the active material precursor to an active material, wherein the active material comprises a metal nitride, a metal oxynitride, a metal carbide, a metal oxycarbide, a metal boride, a metal oxyboride, and combinations thereof, and wherein the metal is selected from Groups III, IV, V, VI, or VII of the Periodic Table, and the active material is electrically coupled to the foam substrate.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the reductant is selected from the group consisting of ammonia, hydrazine, nitrogen, and combinations thereof, and the active material is a nitride or an oxynitride of a metal selected from Groups III, IV, V, VI, or VII of the Periodic Table.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the reductant is selected from the group consisting of methyl amine, methane, ethane, and combinations thereof, and the active material is a carbide or an oxycarbide of a metal selected from Groups III, IV, V, VI, or VII of the Periodic Table.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the reductant is diborane and the active material is a boride or an oxyboride of a metal selected from Groups III, IV, V, VI, or VII of the Periodic Table.

24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the active material precursor is a metal powder or a metal oxide, and the metal is selected from Groups III, IV, V, VI, or VII of the Periodic Table.

25. The method of claim 20 , wherein the foam substrate comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of Group IV, V, VI, VII, and VIII of the Periodic Table.

26. The method of claim 20 , wherein the foam substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of nickel, nickel alloys, copper, copper alloys, carbon, and combinations thereof.

27. The method of 20 , wherein impregnating the foam substrate comprises dispersing the active material precursor into a slurry and applying the slurry to the foam substrate.

28. The method of claim 20 , wherein the foam substrate has a thickness of about 0.2 mm to about 4 mm.

29. The method of claim 20 further comprising calendaring the foam substrate after reacting the active material precursor infiltrated foam substrate to convert the active material precursor to the active material.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the foam is calendered up to about 80%.

31. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the foam substrate is a current collector.