Supercapacitors,
also known as electrochemical capacitors, are
attracting much research attention owing to their high power density,
long-term cycling stability, as well as exceptional safety compared
with rechargeable batteries, although the globally accepted quantitative
benchmarks on the power density, cycling stability, and safety are
yet to be established. However, it should be noted that the supercapacitors
generally exhibit low energy density, which cannot satisfy the demands
where both high energy density and power density are needed. To date,
various methods have been employed to improve the electrochemical
performances of supercapacitors. Among them, introducing redox additives
(or redox mediators) into conventional aqueous electrolyte is regarded
as one of the most promising strategies. The redox additives in aqueous
electrolyte are widely demonstrated to be able to increase the charge
storage capability via redox transformation and thus enhance the electrochemical
performances. Herein, we present a brief review on the classification,
state-of-the-art progress, challenges, and perspectives of the redox
additives in aqueous electrolyte for high performance supercapacitors.