Curved graphene: a mini-review of its applications in electrochemical energy storage and conversion

Abstract Graphene has garnered significant attention due to its distinctive geometric morphology and high electrical conductivity properties, making it a promising material for a wide range of advanced electrochemical applications. However, limitations such as layer stacking and the poor intrinsic catalytic activity of its basal plane often overshadow these advantages, restricting its broader application in advanced technologies. To overcome these challenges, curved graphene (CG) has emerged as a material with enhanced properties, offering a solution to the inherent limitations of planar graphene. Curved graphene exhibits superior performance in these applications due to its unique features, such as a large surface area, which facilitates rapid charge and discharge cycles, prevents catalyst aggregation, promotes efficient electron transfer, and exposes abundant active sites for catalytic reactions. These advantages collectively enhance the functionality, efficiency, and durability of CG in electrochemical energy systems. Accordingly, the review covers the potential of CG has been systematically explored in four major electrochemical energy applications: supercapacitors, battery, water splitting, and dye-sensitized solar cells. These applications are evaluated by comparing the performance of pure CG, doped CG, and CG hybrids with other materials.