Graphene Platforms for Smart Energy Generation and Storage

Nowadays, energy generation and storage are two important topics. Unfortunately, conventional energy generators are not capable of responding to environmental changes, while traditional energy storage devices lack special functionalities apart from supplying electricity. Benefiting from exceptional physicochemical properties, graphene-based materials help to address the aforementioned issues. In this review, we highlight recent key advances in graphene-based smart energy generation and storage systems. In terms of smart energy generation, we focus on graphene-derived electric generators that can controllably produce electricity in response to external stimuli, such as moisture, flowing liquid, friction, pressure force, and heat. As for energy storage, smart batteries and supercapacitors with made-to-measure graphene materials are summarized to show impressive features of deformability, wearability, printability, stimuli response, self-healing, integration, and miniaturization. Beyond these, we also discuss the challenges ahead for these graphene-related smart energy generation/storage devices and their future development trend. With the success of smart electric devices, intelligent energy generation and storage that can interact with and be responsive to external stimuli are highly demanded. As a two-dimensional (2D) monolayer of carbon atoms packed into a honeycomb lattice, graphene has the potential to revolutionize sensors, electronics, biomedicine, energy storage, and conversion devices, owing to its excellent electronic and mechanical properties. In the present review, we highlight recent advances in graphene-based smart energy generation and storage devices. Progress in tailoring the properties of graphene is summarized first, including microscopic structure modification, functionalization, and self-assembly of graphene. Then, graphene-based smart electric generators that can produce electricity in response to moisture, flowing liquid, friction, pressure force, and heat are systematically reviewed, as well as graphene-based smart batteries and supercapacitors with special features, such as deformability, wearability, stimuli response, self-healing, integration, and miniaturization. Finally, insights into the challenges and future development of graphene-based smart energy generation and storage are tentatively proposed. In this review, we highlight recent advances on graphene-based smart energy generation and storage systems. In terms of smart energy generation, we focus on graphene-based electric generators that can controllably produce electricity in response to moisture, flowing liquid, friction, pressure force, and heat. As for energy storage, smart batteries and supercapacitors with special features of deformability, wearability, printability, stimuli response, self-healing, integration, and miniaturization are discussed.