Chapter 11 - Graphene-Based Materials for Clean Energy Applications

Abstract

In the last 2decades, significant research has been carried out to develop energy-related materials to meet worldwide energy demand. Among various organic and inorganic materials, graphene exhibits strong potential to contribute to the energy demand in various ways. Solar cells can be manufactured using graphene to enhance power conversion efficiency. Batteries can use graphene to improve charge–discharge cycling performance and overall capacity. Graphene and its various composites can also be used in supercapacitors to enhance power density and rate performance. Coarsely, the use of graphene can be classified into two broad categories: energy storage devices and energy conversion devices. After all, graphene-based devices can provide clean energy with theoretically zero waste emission. Graphite is the main source to obtain this single atom-layered, two-dimensional plane, called as graphene. This chapter reviews recent progress in synthesis techniques for obtaining the graphene. Furthermore, the chapter describes a broad variety of uses of graphene for clean energy applications. This chapter will also provide an important scientific reference on applying graphene to clean energy applications for realizing large-scale energy conversion and storage in the near future.