Engineering graphene for high-performance supercapacitors: Enabling role of colloidal chemistry

Abstract

The high electrical conductivity and high specific surface area of graphene are traditionally regarded as the most intriguing features for its promise as the electrode material for supercapacitors. In this perspective, we highlight that from the engineering point of view, the unique colloidal chemistry of chemically functionalized graphene is the key property that has made graphene stand out as a promising nanoscale building block for constructing unique nanoporous electrodes for capacitive energy storage. We present several examples to demonstrate how the non-covalent colloidal forces between graphene sheets can be harnessed to engineer the nanostructure of graphene-based bulk electrodes fo..