(Nanocarbons Division Richard E. Smalley Research Award) Evolution of Nanocarbons in Energy Conversion and Storage

Abstract

The discovery of fullerenes led to the exploration of their excited state and electron storage properties in 1990s. This wave of research quickly led to the growth of carbon nanotube research, followed by graphene based nanocarbon materials. After a span of more than three decades, we now have a better understanding of properties of these nanocarbons and how to utilize them in various applications. Of particular interest are graphene–semiconductor or −metal nanoparticle composites with the capability to function as efficient, multifunctional materials for energy conversion and storage. In particular, reduced graphene oxide (RGO) is a suitable composite substrate because of its two-dimensional structure, outstanding surface area, and electrical conductivity. The presentation will focus on common employed methods to design graphene oxide-semiconductor composite materials and examine key studies that characterize their excited state interactions. The favorable energetics of RGO for intercepting excited states and inducing charge separation, along with the ease of developing electrode materials with tailored properties make it an exceptionally important mediator for improving the performance of solar cells and photocatalyst arrays. Strategies to develop graphene composites and control electron capture and transport through the 2D carbon network will be discussed.