When used as a composite in electrodes, graphene facilitates fast charging as a result of its high conductivity and well-ordered structure. Graphene has been also applied to Li-ion batteries by developing graphene-enabled nanostructured-silicon anodes that enable silicon to survive more cycles and still store more energy.
Graphene is a promising carbon material for use as an electrode in electrochemical energy storage devices due to its stable physical structure, large specific surface area (~ 2600 m 2 ·g –1), and excellent electrical conductivity 5.
The graphene outer surface can efficiently dissipate heat generated inside the PCC via thermal radiation. Battery charging–discharging experiments show that the proposed composite reduces the battery temperature with zero energy consumption when compared to other approaches.
Energ. Environ. Sci. 2, 638–654 (2009). Xiang, H. F. et al. Graphene sheets as anode materials for Li-ion batteries: Preparation, structure, electrochemical properties and mechanism for lithium storage.
The charged storage mechanisms are related to the number of graphene layers. For single-layer graphene, charging proceeds by the desorption of co-ion, whereas for few-layer graphene, co-ion/counter-ion exchange dominates.
While the South Korean research has rekindled notions that graphene could be the solution to increasing the storage capacity of supercapacitors to the point where they could offer an alternative to Li-ion batteries,the general research trend has moved away from this aim.