ABSTRACT
Graphene is undoubtedly one of the most significant discoveries in the first decade of the 21st century, and has received continuous and increasing attentions all over the world. The preparation of freestanding and high quality single-layer graphene and the revealing of its amazing physical properties brought Prof. A. Geim and Prof. K. Novoselov a Nobel Prize only six years after their pioneering works [1]. Comparing with its relatively simple atomic structure, the physicochemical properties of graphene is astonishing and attractive to scientists worldwide [2]. Graphene has ultrahigh intrinsic mobility, high Young’s modulus, excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, as well as large theoretical specific surface area. Meanwhile, the robust yet flexible 2D nanostructure of graphene
provides infinite possibilities in construction of graphene-based materials with various structures and morphologies for diverse applications. So far, graphene has exhibited broad application potentials in next-generation transistors, energy storage materials, functional composite materials, flexible and transparent display, etc. The attractive prospect of graphene thus requires facile and mass preparation of this novel carbon material to meet increasing demands. In this chapter, the development and current status of chemical synthesis of graphene will be introduced. Then, the application of chemically-derived graphene in energy-storage devices, mainly Liion batteries and supercapacitors, will be briefly discussed.
