Advances in the Applications of Graphene-Based Nanocomposites in Clean Energy Materials
Extensive use of fossil fuels can lead to energy depletion and serious environmental pollution. Therefore, it is necessary to solve these problems by developing clean energy. Graphene materials own the advantages of high electrocatalytic activity, high conductivity, excellent mechanical strength, st...
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MDPI AG
2021-01-01
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| author | Yiqiu Xiang Ling Xin Jiwei Hu Caifang Li Jimei Qi Yu Hou Xionghui Wei |
| author_facet | Yiqiu Xiang Ling Xin Jiwei Hu Caifang Li Jimei Qi Yu Hou Xionghui Wei |
| author_sort | Yiqiu Xiang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Extensive use of fossil fuels can lead to energy depletion and serious environmental pollution. Therefore, it is necessary to solve these problems by developing clean energy. Graphene materials own the advantages of high electrocatalytic activity, high conductivity, excellent mechanical strength, strong flexibility, large specific surface area and light weight, thus giving the potential to store electric charge, ions or hydrogen. Graphene-based nanocomposites have become new research hotspots in the field of energy storage and conversion, such as in fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries, solar cells and thermoelectric conversion. Graphene as a catalyst carrier of hydrogen fuel cells has been further modified to obtain higher and more uniform metal dispersion, hence improving the electrocatalyst activity. Moreover, it can complement the network of electroactive materials to buffer the change of electrode volume and prevent the breakage and aggregation of electrode materials, and graphene oxide is also used as a cheap and sustainable proton exchange membrane. In lithium-ion batteries, substituting heteroatoms for carbon atoms in graphene composite electrodes can produce defects on the graphitized surface which have a good reversible specific capacity and increased energy and power densities. In solar cells, the performance of the interface and junction is enhanced by using a few layers of graphene-based composites and more electron-hole pairs are collected; therefore, the conversion efficiency is increased. Graphene has a high Seebeck coefficient, and therefore, it is a potential thermoelectric material. In this paper, we review the latest progress in the synthesis, characterization, evaluation and properties of graphene-based composites and their practical applications in fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries, solar cells and thermoelectric conversion. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:45:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-316f80874b29430893f631c90db865e1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4352 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:45:54Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Crystals |
| spelling | doaj.art-316f80874b29430893f631c90db865e12023-12-03T12:20:56ZengMDPI AGCrystals2073-43522021-01-011114710.3390/cryst11010047Advances in the Applications of Graphene-Based Nanocomposites in Clean Energy MaterialsYiqiu Xiang0Ling Xin1Jiwei Hu2Caifang Li3Jimei Qi4Yu Hou5Xionghui Wei6Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Information Systems of Mountainous Areas and Protection of Ecological Environment, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550001, ChinaGuizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Information Systems of Mountainous Areas and Protection of Ecological Environment, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550001, ChinaGuizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Information Systems of Mountainous Areas and Protection of Ecological Environment, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550001, ChinaGuizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Information Systems of Mountainous Areas and Protection of Ecological Environment, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550001, ChinaGuizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Information Systems of Mountainous Areas and Protection of Ecological Environment, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550001, ChinaGuizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Information Systems of Mountainous Areas and Protection of Ecological Environment, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550001, ChinaDepartment of Applied Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaExtensive use of fossil fuels can lead to energy depletion and serious environmental pollution. Therefore, it is necessary to solve these problems by developing clean energy. Graphene materials own the advantages of high electrocatalytic activity, high conductivity, excellent mechanical strength, strong flexibility, large specific surface area and light weight, thus giving the potential to store electric charge, ions or hydrogen. Graphene-based nanocomposites have become new research hotspots in the field of energy storage and conversion, such as in fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries, solar cells and thermoelectric conversion. Graphene as a catalyst carrier of hydrogen fuel cells has been further modified to obtain higher and more uniform metal dispersion, hence improving the electrocatalyst activity. Moreover, it can complement the network of electroactive materials to buffer the change of electrode volume and prevent the breakage and aggregation of electrode materials, and graphene oxide is also used as a cheap and sustainable proton exchange membrane. In lithium-ion batteries, substituting heteroatoms for carbon atoms in graphene composite electrodes can produce defects on the graphitized surface which have a good reversible specific capacity and increased energy and power densities. In solar cells, the performance of the interface and junction is enhanced by using a few layers of graphene-based composites and more electron-hole pairs are collected; therefore, the conversion efficiency is increased. Graphene has a high Seebeck coefficient, and therefore, it is a potential thermoelectric material. In this paper, we review the latest progress in the synthesis, characterization, evaluation and properties of graphene-based composites and their practical applications in fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries, solar cells and thermoelectric conversion.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/11/1/47clean energy materialsgraphene-based nanocompositeshydrogen fuel cellslithium-ion batteriessolar cellsthermoelectric conversion |
| spellingShingle | Yiqiu Xiang Ling Xin Jiwei Hu Caifang Li Jimei Qi Yu Hou Xionghui Wei Advances in the Applications of Graphene-Based Nanocomposites in Clean Energy Materials Crystals clean energy materials graphene-based nanocomposites hydrogen fuel cells lithium-ion batteries solar cells thermoelectric conversion |
| title | Advances in the Applications of Graphene-Based Nanocomposites in Clean Energy Materials |
| title_full | Advances in the Applications of Graphene-Based Nanocomposites in Clean Energy Materials |
| title_fullStr | Advances in the Applications of Graphene-Based Nanocomposites in Clean Energy Materials |
| title_full_unstemmed | Advances in the Applications of Graphene-Based Nanocomposites in Clean Energy Materials |
| title_short | Advances in the Applications of Graphene-Based Nanocomposites in Clean Energy Materials |
| title_sort | advances in the applications of graphene based nanocomposites in clean energy materials |
| topic | clean energy materials graphene-based nanocomposites hydrogen fuel cells lithium-ion batteries solar cells thermoelectric conversion |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/11/1/47 |
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