Graphene materials preparation methods have dramatic influence upon their capacitance

Graphene related materials are widely expected to play a major role as materials for the construction of supercapacitors. We demonstrate here that graphene oxides prepared by various well-established methods exhibit dramatically different capacitances. We exfoliated graphite oxide sonographically to graphene oxide (GO) and we reduced GO by chemical or electrochemical means to chemically reduced graphene oxide (CRGO) and electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ERGO); in addition, graphite oxide was thermally exfoliated leading to thermally reduced graphene oxide (TRGO). We found clear dependence of weight specific capacitance upon amount of oxygen containing groups presented on the surface of these graphenes. GO exhibits the lowest and TRGO the highest values of weight specific capacitance.     

Electrochemical capacitors based on the composite of graphene and nickel foam

An improved Hummers method was developed for the simple and efficient production of high-quality graphene oxide(GO), and the composite of GO and nickel foam(NF)(GO/NF) was fabricated by ultrasonication-vacuum-assisted deposition of an aqueous solution of GO on NF. After chemical or thermal reduction, the composite of reduced GO and nickel foam(r GO/NF) was obtained. The electrochemical capacitance performance of r GO/NF was investigated using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge measurements. The chemically reduced r GO/NF composite(C-r GO/NF) exhibited high specific capacitance of 379 F/g at 1.0 A/g and 266.5 F/g at 10 A/g. We also prepared thermally reduced graphene oxide at 473 K in order to illuminate the difference in effect between the chemical and low-temperature thermal reduction methods on electrochemical properties. The cycling performance of thermally reduced r GO/NF composite(T-r GO/NF) and C-r GO/NF had ~91% and ~95% capacitance retention after 2000 cycles in a 6 mol/L KOH electrolyte, respectively. Electrochemical experiments indicated that the obtained r GO/NF has very good capacitive performance and could be used as a potential application of electrochemical capacitors. Our work revealed high electrochemical capacitor performance of r GO/NF composite and provided a facile method of r GO/NF preparation.     

Activated carbon/graphene composites with high-rate performance as electrode materials for electrochemical capacitors

Glucose-derived activated carbon (GAC)/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) composites are prepared by pre-carbonization of the precursors (aqueous mixture of glucose and graphene oxide) and KOH activation of the pyrolysis products. The effect of the mass ratio of graphene oxide (GO) in the precursor on the electrochemical performance of GAC/RGO composites as electrode materials for electrochemical capacitors is investigated. It is found that the thermally reduced graphene oxide sheets serves as a wrinkled carrier to support the activated carbon particles after activation. The pore size distribution and surface area are depended on the mass ratio of GO. Besides, the rate capability of GAC is improved by the introduction of GO in the precursor. The highest specific capacitance of 334 F g^?1 is achieved for the GAC/RGO composite prepared from the precursor with a GO mass ratio of 3 %.     

Understanding Self-assembly,Colloidal Behavior and Rheological Properties of Graphene Derivatives for High-performance Supercapacitor Fabrication

Graphene derivatives, such as graphene oxide(GO) and reduced graphene oxide(RGO), have been widely used as promising twodimensional nanoscale building blocks due to their fascinating properties, cost-effective production, and good processability. Understanding the intrinsic self-assembling, colloidal, and rheological features of graphene derivatives is of critical importance to establish the formation-structureproperty relationship of graphene-based materials. This article reviews recent progresses in our studies of these interesting properties of graphene derivatives for developing high performance supercapacitors. The content is organized to include characteristics of the dispersions of graphene derivatives, self-assembly of nanosheets from liquid medium, colloidal behavior, rheological properties of the dispersions, processing methods based on the properties, and performance of the fabricated supercapacitors. GO and RGO nanosheets are proved to form different types of assembled structures with unique morphologies, such as ultrathin layer-by-layer films, porous aggregates, and nanoscrolls. The unique rheological properties of GO dispersions and hydrogels, feasible for both the traditional wet-processing and newly-developed technology like three-dimensional printing, are highlighted for their potential in structural manipulation and scalable fabrication of graphene-based devices. The research devoted to up-grading the performance of supercapacitors is presented in some details, which could be applicable for fabricating other graphene-based energy storage devices. Some challenges and perspectives in our point of view are given in the last part of this feature article.     

Surface modification by graphene oxide:An efficient strategy to improve the performance of activated carbon based supercapacitors

An efficient and cost-effective strategy to modificate the surface of active carbon (AC), form a 3D-conductive network, and therefore improve the electrochemical performance of AC based supercapacitor was developed.     

Green synthesis of graphene nanosheets/ZnO composites and electrochemical properties

A green and facile approach was demonstrated to prepare graphene nanosheets/ZnO (GNS/ZnO) composites for supercapacitor materials. Glucose, as a reducing agent, and exfoliated graphite oxide (GO), as precursor, were used to synthesize GNS, then ZnO directly grew onto conducting graphene nanosheets as electrode materials. The small ZnO particles successfully anchored onto graphene sheets as spacers to keep the neighboring sheets separate. The electrochemical performances of these electrodes were analyzed by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectrometry and chronopotentiometry. Results showed that the GNS/ZnO composites displayed superior capacitive performance with large capacitance (62.2 F/g), excellent cyclic performance, and maximum power density (8.1 kW/kg) as compared with pure graphene electrodes. Our investigation highlight the importance of anchoring of small ZnO particles on graphene sheets for maximum utilization of electrochemically active ZnO and graphene for energy storage application in supercapacitors.     

聚吡咯/还原氧化石墨烯复合物的合成及电容性能

通过原位聚合方法制备不同配比的聚吡咯/氧化石墨（PPy/GO）复合物,将其用NaBH4还原得到聚吡咯/还原氧化石墨烯(PPy/RGO)复合物,采用X射线衍射、红外光谱和场发射扫描电子显微镜（FESEM）对其结构和形貌进行物理表征。 采用循环伏安、恒电流充放电和交流阻抗等电化学方法系统研究了所制备样品的电化学性能。 实验结果表明,在电流密度为0.5 A/g、吡咯（Py）与GO质量比为95∶5时,得到的复合物还原前后比电容分别可达401.5和314.5 F/g,远高于单纯的GO（34.8 F/g）和PPy（267.5 F/g）。 经过1200圈循环稳定性测试后,PPy/RGO复合物比电容保持了原来的62.5%,与PPy和PPy/GO（电容保持率分别为16.8%和46.4%）相比,PPy/RGO表现出更好的循环稳定性能,有望成为超级电容器电极材料。     

聚吡咯/氧化石墨烯层状复合材料的制备及其在超级电容器中的应用(英文)

通过将吡咯单体在低温下与氧化石墨烯进行原位聚合,获得聚吡咯/石墨烯(Ppy/CRGO)复合材料.采用场发射电子显微镜(FESEM)、红外(FT-IR)和热重分析(TGA)对复合物的表面形貌、结构进行表征.FESEM结果表明,通过控制氧化石墨烯(GO)和吡咯单体的质量比例,可以对复合物的层状和厚度进行调控.FT-IR和TGA结果表明,聚吡咯(Ppy)是通过化学键合的方式与氧化石墨烯复合在一起.通过机械冷压法将粉末状Ppy/CRGO复合物压成圆片电极,并探讨了石墨烯和聚吡咯复合比例、反应时间、烘干温度和孔隙率等因素对Ppy/CRGO复合物电极的电学和电化学性能的影响.结果表明,Ppy与CRGO质量比为10∶1所制得的Ppy/CRGO复合物的电容量为421 F·g-1,通过在电极中引入孔隙,电容量能进一步提升为509 F·g-1.     

Ultrafast room-temperature reduction of graphene oxide by sodium borohydride,sodium molybdate and hydrochloric acid

Since graphene-based materials have shown great potential in many fields,it is important to explore ultrafast and high-efficient methods to synthesize reduced graphene oxide(rGO) using inexpensive reducing agents under mild conditions.Here,we reported a novel method for the ultrafast chemical reduction of graphene oxide(GO) at room temperature using sodium borohydride(NaBH₄),sodium molybdate(Na₂MoO₄) and hydrochloric acid(HCl).The reduction was carried out within 2 min.A series of characterization results revealed that the obtained reduced graphene oxide has higher reduction degree than that synthesized by NaBH₄ alone at high temperature.Moreover,rGO electrode based on the present reducing method exhibited a superior specific capacitance of 139.8 F/g at a current density of1 A/g,indicating that it can be used as electrode materials for supercapacitors.     

激光直写微型RGO/MWCNT/CF平面柔性超级电容器的制备及性能

将采用改性Hummers法制备的氧化石墨烯与多壁碳纳米管(MWCNT)复合, 通过激光直写的方法制备了以棉织物(Cotton fabric, CF)为基底的石墨烯复合碳纳米管的同心圆形织物柔性平面超级电容器(RGO/MWCNT/CF). 通过扫描电子显微镜、 X 射线衍射和拉曼光谱技术对RGO/MWCNT/CF进行了表征, 并对超级电容器的电导率和电化学性能进行了测试. 结果表明, 电极材料经激光还原后导电率达到了7.19×10 ⁴ S/m, 表现出良好的导电性能. 以RGO/MWCNT/CF为工作电极、 PVA/LiCl凝胶为电解质组装的超级电容器具有良好的电化学性能, 在电位窗口为0~1 V、 电流密度为40.8 mA/cm ²时比电容达到24 mF/cm ², 功率密度为61 mW·h/kg, 能量密度为1.22 mW·h/kg, 且循环1000次仍能保持92%的比电容.     

Synthesis and Electrochemical Performance of Co3O4/Graphene

Co3O4/reduced graphene oxide composites were synthesized via a simple electrochemical method from graphene oxide and Co（NO3）2·6H2O as raw materials.Co3O4 nanoparticles with sizes of around 30-50 nm were distributed on the surface of graphene nanosheets confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.Electrochemical properties of Co3O4/graphene composite were tested by cyclic voltammetry,galvanostatic charge-discharge,and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.The Co3O4/reduced graphene oxide composite was used as the pseudocapacitor electrode in the 2 mol/L NaOH aqueous electrolyte solution.The Co3O4/reduced graphene oxide composite electrode exhibited a specific capacitance of 357 F/g at a current density of 0.5 A/g in a three-electrode system.72％ of capacitance was retained when the current density increased to 3 A/g.The Co3O4/reduced graphene oxide composite prepared electrodes show a high rate capability and excellent long-term stability.After 1000 cycles of charge and discharge,the capacitance is still maintained 87％ at a current density of 1 A/g,indicating that the composite is a oromising alternative electrode material used for supercapacitors.     

Electrochemical Preparation of Polypyrrole/Graphene Films on Titanium Mesh as Active Materials for Supercapacitors

Films of polypyrrole/graphene on titanium mesh were prepared by electrochemical reduction of the fresh dried foam films of graphene oxide followed by an electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole. The as-obtained composite had highly surface area, conductivity, and could be used as the electrode for supercapacitors, especially directly used as the active materials in free of binders while the Ti mesh worked as the collector. Plenty of polypyrrole nanoparticles formed on the surface of reduced graphene film, and some fiber-like aggregates could be formed during the polymerization, which worked as the material for pseudo-capacitance. The specific capacitance of the supercapacitor reached 400 F/g and showed high stability with retaining capacitance of 82% after 5000 cycles, indicating that the nanocomposite is a suitable active material for supercapacitors.     

Porous Nitrogen‐doped Reduced Graphene Oxide Gels as Efficient Supercapacitor Electrodes and Oxygen Reduction Reaction Electrocatalysts

Heteroatom‐doped carbon materials have been widely used in energy storage and conversion such as supercapacitors and electrocatalysts. In this work, L‐asparagine (Asn), an amino acid derivative, has been used as a doping agent to prepare nitrogen‐ doped reduced graphene oxide gels (N‐GAs). The 3D interconnected structure gives rise to the superior electrochemical properties for supercapacitor and electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The N‐GA‐4 (the mass ratio of Asn to graphene oxide (GO) is 4 : 1 by hydrothermal method) electrode shows the capacitance of 291.6 F·g^–1 at 0.5 A·g^–1. Meanwhile, the assembled symmetric supercapacitor achieves a maximum energy density of 23.8 Wh· kg^–1 when the power density is 451.2 W·kg^–1, and demonstrates an ultralong cycling life that the retention of capacitance is 99.3% after 80000 cycles. What's more, the annealed aerogel N‐GA‐4‐900 exhibits an onset potential (E_onset) of 0.95 V, half wave potential (E_1/2) of 0.84 V (vs. RHE) and the oxygen reduction current density of 5.5 mA·cm^–2 at 0.1 V with nearly four‐electron transfer, which are superior to commercial Pt/C. This work offers a new insight into the synthesis and applications of N‐GAs materials towards high performance in supercapacitors and ORR.     

A Molecular Pillar Approach To Grow Vertical Covalent Organic Framework Nanosheets on Graphene: Hybrid Materials for Energy Storage

Hybrid 2D–2D materials composed of perpendicularly oriented covalent organic frameworks (COFs) and graphene were prepared and tested for energy storage applications. Diboronic acid molecules covalently attached to graphene oxide (GO) were used as nucleation sites for directing vertical growth of COF‐1 nanosheets (v‐COF‐GO). The hybrid material has a forest of COF‐1 nanosheets with a thickness of 3 to 15 nm in edge‐on orientation relative to GO. The reaction performed without molecular pillars resulted in uncontrollable growth of thick COF‐1 platelets parallel to the surface of GO. The v‐COF‐GO was converted into a conductive carbon material preserving the nanostructure of precursor with ultrathin porous carbon nanosheets grafted to graphene in edge‐on orientation. It was demonstrated as a high‐performance electrode material for supercapacitors. The molecular pillar approach can be used for preparation of many other 2D‐2D materials with control of their relative orientation.     

Selective and sensitive determination of dopamine by composites of polypyrrole and graphene modified electrodes

A novel method is developed to fabricate the polypyrrole (PPy) and graphene thin films on electrodes by electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole with graphene oxide (GO) as a dopant, followed by electrochemical reduction of GO in the composite film. The composite of PPy and electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (eRGO)-modified electrode is highly sensitive and selective toward the detection of dopamine (DA) in the presence of high concentrations of ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA). The sensing performance of the PPy/eRGO-modified electrode is investigated by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), revealing a linear range of 0.1-150 μM with a detection limit of 23 nM (S/N = 3). The practical application of the PPy/eRGO-modified electrode is successfully demonstrated for DA determination in human blood serum.     

Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembled Multilayer Films Composed of Graphene/Polyaniline Bilayers: High-Energy Electrode Materials for Supercapacitors

Multilayer assemblies of uniform ultrathin film electrodes with good electrical conductivity and very large surface areas were prepared for use as electrochemical capacitors. A layer-by-layer self-assembly approach was employed in an effort to improve the processability of highly conducting polyaniline (PANi) and chemically modified graphene. The electrochemical properties of the multilayer film (MF-) electrodes, including the sheet resistance, volumetric capacitance, and charge/discharge ratio, were determined by the morphological modification and the method used to reduce the graphene oxide (GO) to reduced graphene oxide (RGO) in the multilayer films. The PANi and GO concentrations could be modulated to control the morphology of the GO monolayer film in the multilayer assemblies. Optical ellipsometry was used to determine the thickness of the GO film in a single layer (1.32 nm), which agreed well with the literature value (～1.3 nm). Hydroiodic acid (HI), hydrazine, or pyrolysis were tested for the reduction of GO to RGO. HI was found to be the most efficient technique for reducing the GO to RGO in the multilayer assemblies while minimizing damage to the virgin state of the acid-doped PANi. Ultimately, the MF-electrode, which could be optimized by fine-tuning the nanostructure and selecting a suitable reduction method, exhibited an excellent volumetric capacitance, good cycling stability, and a rapid charge/discharge rate, which are required for supercapacitors. A MF-electrode composed of 15 PANi/RGO bilayers yielded a volumetric capacitance of 584 F/cm(3) at a current density of 3.0 A/cm(3). Although this value decreased exponentially as the current density increased, approaching a value of 170 F/cm(3) at 100 A/cm(3), this volumetric capacitance is one of the best yet reported for the other carbon-based materials. The intriguing features of the MF-electrodes composed of PANi/RGO multilayer films offer a new microdimensional design for high energy storage devices for use in small portable electronic devices.     

A facile preparation and electrochemical properties of nickel based compound-graphene sheet composites for supercapacitors

Composites of a nickel based compound incorporated with graphene sheets(NiBC-GS) are prepared by a simple flocculation,using hydrazine hydrate as flocculant and reductant,from a homogeneous intermixture of nickel dichloride and graphene oxide dispersed in N,N-dimethylformamide.Morphology,microstructure and thermal stability of the obtained products were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy,X-ray diffraction and thermal gravimetric analysis.Furthermore,the electrochemical properties of NiBC-GS,as electrode materials for supercapacitors,were studied by cyclic voUammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge in 2 mol L~(-1) KOH solution.It was determined that for NiBC-GS annealed at 250 ℃.a high specific capacitance of 2394 Fg~(-1) was achieved at a current density of 1 Ag~(-1),with 78%of the value(i.e.,1864 Fg~(-1)) retained after 5000 times of repeated galvanostatic charge/discharge cycling.The high specific capacitance and available charge/discharge stability indicate the synthesized NiBC-GS250 composite is a good candidate as a novel electrode material for supercapacitors.     

磷化镍/氮硫双掺杂石墨烯复合材料的制备及电催化析氢性能

采用水热法合成了具有高活性的磷化镍纳米晶(Ni₂P), 并合成了氮、 硫共掺杂石墨烯负载磷化镍纳米催化剂(Ni₂P/NSRGO). 对该催化剂的结构和形貌进行了表征, 并研究其电催化析氢性能. 电化学测试结果表明, Ni₂P/NSRGO复合电催化剂的析氢性能优于Ni₂P/RGO催化剂, 具有较小的Tafel斜率(35 mV/dec)、 较低的过电位(η₁₀=140 mV)和良好的稳定性.     

Hierarchical nanocomposites of polyaniline scales coated on graphene oxide sheets for enhanced supercapacitors

The homogeneous polyaniline–graphene oxide (PANI-GO) nanocomposites were facilely assembled with a redox system in which cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) and iron dichloride (FeCl₂) acted as oxidant and reductant, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that PANI scales coated uniformly on the surface of GO sheets owing to the synergistic effect between the PANI and GO. The obtained PANI-GO nanocomposites exhibited improved electrochemical performance as an electrode material for supercapacitors compared with the pure PANI. The specific capacitance of the PANI-GO nanocomposites was high up to 308.3 F g^?1, much higher than that of the pure PANI with specific capacitance of 150 F g^?1 at a current density of 1 A g^?1 in 2 M H₂SO₄ electrolyte. The Raman and XPS results illustrated that enhanced electrochemical performance might be attributed to the π-π conjugation between the PANI and GO sheets.     

Germanium Quantum Dots Embedded in N‐Doping Graphene Matrix with Sponge‐Like Architecture for Enhanced Performance in Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Germanium quantum dots embedded in a nitrogen‐doped graphene matrix with a sponge‐like architecture (Ge/GN sponge) are prepared through a simple and scalable synthetic method, involving freeze drying to obtain the Ge(OH)₄/graphene oxide (GO) precursor and subsequent heat reduction treatment. Upon application as an anode for the lithium‐ion battery (LIB), the Ge/GN sponge exhibits a high discharge capacity compared with previously reported N‐doped graphene. The electrode with the as‐synthesized Ge/GN sponge can deliver a capacity of 1258 mAh g^?1 even after 50 charge/discharge cycles. This improved electrochemical performance can be attributed to the pore memory effect and highly conductive N‐doping GN matrix from the unique sponge‐like structure.