Chapter 2 - Structure and properties of 2D materials in general and their importance to energy storage

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have gained enormous attention for energy storage systems due to their ultrathin layer structure with the thickness at the atomic level beneficial for the formation of the large surface area and tunable chemical and physical features. This chapter gives a brief overview of the diversity and suitability of 2D materials and the role of 2D materials in electrocatalysis reaction, electrocatalysis of oxygen reduction reaction, electrocatalysis of oxygen evolution reaction, and electrocatalysis of hydrogen evolution reaction for energy storage. This chapter focuses on the structure and properties of some important 2D materials including graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), transition metal carbides and carbonitrides (MXenes), tungsten disulfide (WS2), graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), and phosphorene, which have shown increasing research interest for electrochemical energy storage devices, especially for supercapacitors.