Graphene hybrids for supercapacitor applications

Abstract

The most intriguing 2D carbon form, Graphene, is comprised of a thin layer of tightly spaced carbon atoms. Since its encounter, graphene has fascinated prominence due to its distinct electrical, chemical, and mechanical capabilities and huge surface area. Graphene is the most proficient electrode material for supercapacitor applications due to its distinctive properties. However, the efficiency of supercapacitors is severely hampered by the constant re-stacking that occurs between carbon layers in graphene due to strong van der Waals contacts between layers. Also, it lags in providing the high energy density desired for supercapacitors. As a result, several techniques have been employed to avoid the issues outlined above. The use of graphene-based nanomaterials has been employed to overcome the above-outlined limitations and significantly improve the efficiency of supercapacitors. Consequently, graphene has been deployed with other materials to boost the energy density of the device. Graphene-based hybrids have significantly increased supercapacitor performance when used as electrodes. With an emphasis on their synthetic methodology, topologies, and electrochemical characteristics for supercapacitors, this study highlights present progress in graphene-based nanohybrids with metal oxide, chalcogenides, nitrides, carbides phosphides, and conducting polymers. It discusses new approaches to augment the performance of next-generation supercapacitors.