Flat bands without twists: periodic holey graphene

Holey Graphene(HG) is a widely used graphene material for the synthesis of high-purity and highly crystalline materials. The electronic properties of a periodic distribution of lattice holes are explored here, demonstrating the emergence of flat bands. It is established that such flat bands arise as a consequence of an induced sublattice site imbalance, i.e. by having more sites in one of the graphene's bipartite sublattice than in the other. This is equivalent to the breaking of a path-exchange symmetry. By further breaking the inversion symmetry, gaps and a nonzero Berry curvature are induced, leading to topological bands. In particular, the folding of the Dirac cones from the hexagonal Brillouin zone (BZ) to the holey superlattice rectangular BZ of HG, with sizes proportional to an integerntimes the graphene's lattice parameter, leads to a periodicity in the gap formation such thatn≡0(mod 3). A low-energy hamiltonian for the three central bands is also obtained revealing that the system behaves as an effectiveα-T3graphene material. Therefore, a simple protocol is presented here that allows for obtaining flat bands at will. Such bands are known to increase electron-electron correlation effects. Therefore, the present work provides an alternative system that is much easier to build than twisted systems, allowing for the production of flat bands and potentially highly correlated quantum phases.

Mesoporous Nitrogen-Doped Holey Reduced Graphene Oxide: Preparation, Purification, and Application for Metal-Free Electrochemical Sensing of Dopamine

Holey graphenic nanomaterials with porosity within the basal plane attract significant interest. It is observed that the perforation of graphene can enhance the specific surface area of the nanosheet, ensuring effective wetting and penetration of electrolytes to the electrode surface, facilitating rapid charge transfer, and boosting the electrocatalytic efficacy of the transducers. This study reports the first example of nitrogen-doped holey reduced graphene oxide with a mesoporous morphology of the graphene basal plane (N-MHG). It is shown that N-MHG can be synthesized through a one-step hydrothermal treatment of GO using NH3 and H2O2. A straightforward procedure for the purification of N-MHG has also been developed. AFM, TEM, and Raman analyses have revealed that N-MHG possesses a highly mesoporous network structure with a pore size ranging from 10 to 50 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data have indicated a partial reduction of the graphene oxide sheets during the etching process but also show a 3-5 times higher content of C═O and O-C═O fragments compared to rGO. This could account for the remarkable stability of the N-MHG aqueous suspension. An electrochemical sensor for dopamine analysis is assembled on a glassy carbon electrode with N-MHG/Nafion membrane and characterized by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

Bimetal Oxide Reduction-Induced Perforation Strategy for Preparing a Multi-Microchannel Graphene-Based Anode Material with Rapid Sodium-Ion Diffusion

A sodium-ion battery, with a wide operating range, is much cheaper and safer than a lithium battery. Graphene is regarded as a promising carbon material in the preparation of anode materials. However, the large two-dimensional (2D) graphene sheets restrain the cross-plane diffusion of electrolyte ions, limiting the further improvement of rate performance. Herein, a nanohybrid of FeCo2Se4 and holey graphene (FeCo2Se4/HG) has been successfully prepared by the synchronism of pore creation and active material growth. Specifically, FeCo-oxide nanoparticles serve as the etching agents, generating in-plane nanoholes and subsequently converted into FeCo2Se4. The nanoholes provide a high density of cross-plane diffusion channels for sodium ions, serving as ionic diffusion shortcuts between different graphene layers to accelerate ion transport across the entire electrode. The unique architecture endows FeCo2Se4/HG with superior rate capability (411.2 mA h g-1 at 20 A g-1) and a specific capacity of 432.4 mA h g-1 at 2.0 A g-1 after 2000 cycles with a capacity retention rate of 92.4%. Therefore, pore engineering makes it possible for holey graphene-based electrodes to achieve outstanding rate performance and superb cycling durability.

Study on the Application of Nitrogen-Doped Holey Graphene in Supercapacitors with Organic Electrolyte

We present a facile low-cost method to produce nitrogen-doped holey graphene (N-HGE) and its application to supercapacitors. A composite of N-HGE and activated carbon (AC) was used as the electrode active material in organic-electrolyte supercapacitors, and the performances were evaluated. Melamine was mixed into graphite oxide (GO) as the N source, and an ultra-rapid heating method was used to create numerous holes during the reduction process of GO. X-ray photoelectron spectra confirmed the successful doping with 2.9-4.5 at.% of nitrogen on all samples. Scanning electron micrographs and Raman spectra revealed that a higher heating rate resulted in more holes and defects on the reduced graphene sheets. An extra annealing step at 1000 °C for 1 h was carried out to further eliminate residual oxygen functional groups, which are undesirable in the organic electrolyte system. Compared to the low-heating-rate counterpart (N-GE-15), N-HGE boosted the specific capacity of the supercapacitor by 42 and 22% at current densities of 0.5 and 20 A/g, respectively. The effects of annealing time (0.5, 1, and 2 h) at 1000 °C were also studied. Longer annealing time resulted in higher capacitance values at all current densities due to the minimized oxygen content. Volumetric specific capacitances of 49 and 24 F/cm³ were achieved at current densities of 0.5 and 20 A/g, respectively. For the high-power-density operation at 31,000 W/kg (or 10,000 W/L), an energy density as high as 11 Wh/kg (or 3.5 Wh/L) was achieved. The results indicated that N-HGE not only improved the conductivity of the composite supercapacitors but also accelerated ion transport by way of shortened diffusion paths through the numerous holes all over the graphene sheets.

Pore Perforation of Graphene Coupled with In Situ Growth of Co3 Se4 for High-Performance Na-Ion Battery

Graphene-based nanomaterials have sprung up as promising anode materials for sodium-ion batteries due to the intriguing properties of graphene itself and the synergic effect between graphene and active materials. However, the 2D graphene sheet only allows the rapid diffusion of sodium ions along the parallel direction while that of the vertical direction is difficult, limiting the rate capability of graphene-based electrode materials. To tackle this problem, pore-forming engineering has been employed to perforate graphene and concurrently achieve the in situ growth of Co₃ Se₄ nanoparticles. The generation of in-plane nanohole breaks through the physical barriers of the graphene nanosheets, enabling the fast diffusion of electrolyte ions in the longitudinal direction. In addition, this design limits the aggregation of Co₃ Se₄ nanoparticles because of the high affinity of Co₃ Se₄ on graphene. Benefiting from the high conductivity and fast ion transport bestowed by the ingenious architecture, the Co₃ Se₄ /holey graphene exhibits a remarkable rate performance of 519.5 mAh g^-1 at 5.0 A g^-1 and desirable cycle stability. Conclusions drawn from this investigation are that the transport of sodium inside the graphene-based composites is crucial for rate performance enhancement and this method is effective in modifying graphene-based nanomaterials as potential anode materials.

Three-Dimensional Holey Graphene Modified Na4 Fe3 (PO4 )2 (P2 O7 )/C as a High-Performance Cathode for Rechargeable Sodium-Ion Batteries

Polyanion-type Na₄ Fe₃ (PO₄ )₂ (P₂ O₇ ) (NFPP) is a promising cathode material for sodium-ion batteries due to its low cost and high safety. Herein, a three-dimensional (3D) holey graphene (HG) modified NFPP/C material (NFPPCHG) has been successfully prepared by a simple and scalable ball milling strategy with sodium phytate and ferrous oxalate as precursors. The introduction of HG can obviously improve the specific surface area, electronic conductivity, and ions transport performance of NFPPCHG and largely enhance its electrochemical properties. The prepared NFPPCHG delivers a high reversible capacity of 118 mAh g^-1 at 0.2 C and keeps a considerable capacity of 53 mAh g^-1 even at an ultrahigh rate of 100 C. NFPPCHG also shows excellent performance at 55 °C and -20 °C. Moreover, in situ distribution of relaxation time analysis further demonstrates NFPPCHG has superior electrochemical kinetics. In addition, the HC//NFPPCHG full cell displays good performance, suggesting great potential of the prepared material for practical applications.

Three-Dimensional Holey Graphene Enwrapped Li3 V2 (PO4 )3 /N-Doped Carbon Cathode for High-Rate and Long-Life Li-Ion Batteries

Monoclinic Li₃ V₂ (PO₄ )₃ is a promising cathode material for high-power Li-ion batteries. Herein, a three-dimensional holey graphene enwrapped Li₃ V₂ (PO₄ )₃ /N-doped carbon (LVPNCHG) nanocomposite has been successfully synthesized. The holes could be in-situ and directly introduced in graphene through H₂ O₂ chemical etching in the synthesis process, which could remarkably enhance the ion and electron transport and greatly improve the electrochemical performance of the LVPNCHG electrode: 78 mAh g^-1 at 150 C, 86.1 % capacity retention over 2000 cycles at 10 C, and 96 % capacity retention over 500 cycles at 1 C under -20 °C. Moreover, in-situ distribution of relaxation time analysis was used to study LVPNCHG cathode during charge/discharge at 3.0-4.8 V, combined with in-situ X-ray diffraction measurement, and the results showed that a two-phase reaction mechanism was involved during the insertion of Li⁺ in the discharge process. Further demonstration of graphite//LVPNCHG full cell indicated great potential of the as-synthesized materials for practical application.

Excimer Laser Patterned Holey Graphene Oxide Films for Nonenzymatic Electrochemical Sensing

The existence of point defects, holes, and corrugations (macroscopic defects) induces high catalytic potential in graphene and its derivatives. We report a systematic approach for microscopic and macroscopic defect density optimization in excimer laser-induced reduced graphene oxide by varying the laser energy density and pulse number to achieve a record detection limit of 7.15 nM for peroxide sensing. A quantitative estimation of point defect densities was obtained using Raman spectroscopy and confirmed with electrochemical sensing measurements. Laser annealing (LA) at 0.6 J cm^-2 led to the formation of highly reduced graphene oxide (GO) by liquid-phase regrowth of molten carbon with the presence of dangling bonds, making it catalytically active. Hall-effect measurements yielded a mobility of ∼200 cm² V^-1 s^-1. An additional increase in the number of pulses at 0.6 J cm^-2 resulted in deoxygenation through the solid-state route, leading to the formation of holey graphene structure. The average hole size showed a hierarchical increase, with the number of pulses characterized with multiple microscopy techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The exposure of edge sites due to high hole density after 10 pulses supported the formation of proximal diffusion layers, which led to facile mass transfer and improvement in the detection limit from 25.4 mM to 7.15 nM for peroxide sensing. However, LA at 1 J cm^-2 with 1 pulse resulted in a high melt lifetime of molten carbon and the formation of GO characterized by a high resistivity of 3 × 10^-2 Ω-cm, which was not ideal for sensing applications. The rapid thermal annealing technique using a batch furnace to generate holey graphene results in structure with uneven hole sizes. However, holey graphene formation using the LA technique is scalable with better control over hole size and density. This study will pave the path for cost-efficient and high-performance holey graphene sensors for advanced sensing applications.

Li-Ion Permeability of Holey Graphene in Solid State Batteries: A Particle Dynamics Study

Lithium (Li)-ion permeability of holey graphene (hG) for use as an electrically conducting scaffold in solid-state battery electrodes is explored through the means of a particle dynamics simulation model. While carbon materials do not typically exhibit Li-ion conductivity, the unique structural motif of hG, which consists of two-dimensional nanosheets with arrays of through-thickness holes, may present an opportunity for Li-ion conductors (i.e., solid electrolyte (SE) particles) to make contacts through the holes. In our model, the SE is presented as a system of hard elastic spheres conductive to Li-ions. The SE spheres are in contact with each other through compression between two plane current collectors. One hG layer is inserted between the current collectors and parallel to them. Randomly distributed circular holes in the hG allow for contact between the SE particles on both sides of the hG layer. By solving the Li-ion conducting network formed between the electrodes through the contact points of all the particles, the overall conductivity of the system was calculated as a function of SE particle size and the size and number of the hG holes (i.e., hG porosity). A critical ratio of around 4 between the SE particle size and the pore size was found. Below this critical value, the hG layer becomes practically transparent for Li-ions. This study helps to guide the design of highly efficient solid-state electrode composition and architectures using hG as a unique electrically conducting scaffold.

Atomic Molybdenum for Synthesis of Ammonia with 50% Faradic Efficiency

The electrochemical dinitrogen (N₂ ) reduction reaction (NRR) under ambient conditions has gained significant interest as an environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional Haber-Bosch process for the synthesis of ammonia (NH₃ ). However, up to now, most of the reported NRR electrocatalysts with satisfactory catalytic activities have been hindered by the large overpotential in N₂ activation. The preparation of highly efficient Mo-based NRR electrocatalyst in acidic electrolytes under ambient conditions is demonstrated here, consisting of stabilized single Mo atoms anchored on holey nitrogen-doped graphene synthesized through a convenient potassium-salt-assisted activation method. At -0.05 V versus a reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), an electrode consisting of the resultant electrocatalyst immobilized on carbon fiber paper can attain an exceptional Faradaic efficiency of 50.2% and a NH₃ yield rate of 3.6 µg h^-1 mg_cat^-1 with low overpotentials. Density functional theory calculations further unveil that compared to the original graphene without holes, the edge coordinated Mo atoms and the existence of vacancies on holey graphene lower the overpotential of N₂ reduction, thereby promoting the NRR catalytic activity. This work could provide new guidelines for future designs in single-atom catalysis that would be beneficial to ambient N₂ fixation, and replacement of classical synthesis processes that are very energy-intensive.

Designing Undercoordinated Ni-Nx and Fe-Nx on Holey Graphene for Electrochemical CO2 Conversion to Syngas

In this study, we propose a top-down approach for the controlled preparation of undercoordinated Ni-N_x (Ni-hG) and Fe-N_x (Fe-hG) catalysts within a holey graphene framework, for the electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) to synthesis gas (syngas). Through the heat treatment of commercial-grade nitrogen-doped graphene, we prepared a defective holey graphene, which was then used as a platform to incorporate undercoordinated single atoms via carbon defect restoration, confirmed by a range of characterization techniques. We reveal that these Ni-hG and Fe-hG catalysts can be combined in any proportion to produce a desired syngas ratio (1-10) across a wide potential range (-0.6 to -1.1 V vs RHE), required commercially for the Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) synthesis of liquid fuels and chemicals. These findings are in agreement with our density functional theory calculations, which reveal that CO selectivity increases with a reduction in N coordination with Ni, while unsaturated Fe-N_x sites favor the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The potential of these catalysts for scale up is further demonstrated by the unchanged selectivity at elevated temperature and stability in a high-throughput gas diffusion electrolyzer, displaying a high-mass-normalized activity of 275 mA mg^-1 at a cell voltage of 2.5 V. Our results provide valuable insights into the implementation of a simple top-down approach for fabricating active undercoordinated single atom catalysts for decarbonized syngas generation.

Vanadium Nitride Quantum Dots/Holey Graphene Matrix Boosting Adsorption and Conversion Reaction Kinetics for High-Performance Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) have been considered as potential next-generation energy storage systems due to their high specific energy of 2600 Wh kg^-1 and 2800 Wh L^-1. Nevertheless, the practical application of LSBs still faces several hazards, including the shuttle effect of soluble lithium polysulfides, low electrical conductivities of solid sulfur and lithium sulfides, and large volume expansion during charge/discharge cycles. To address this critical challenge, we innovatively proposed facile synthesis of nanostructured VN quantum dots (VNQD)/holey graphene matrix for stabilizing the sulfur cathode by simultaneously promoting the trapping, anchoring, and catalyzing efficiencies of both LiPSs and Li₂S. Benefiting from abundant edge catalytic sites of VNQD, in-plane nanopores of graphene, and high electrical conductivity, the sulfur host not only provides high adsorption capability toward soluble polysulfides, strong binding ability for anchoring solid Li₂S, and their rapid conversion kinetics but also contributes abundant sulfur storage sites and efficient transport pathways for lithium ions (Li⁺) and electrons. Consequently, the sulfur cathode exhibits high initial capacities of 1320 mAh g^-1, high rate capability (850 mAh g^-1 @ 4 mA cm^-2), and high capacity retention of 99.95% per cycle after 500 cycles, providing a feasible solution for the practical utilization of shuttle-free Li-S batteries.

Holey Graphene: Topological Control of Electronic Properties and Electric Conductivity

This paper studies holey graphene with various neck widths (the smallest distance between two neighbor holes). For the considered structures, the energy gap, the Fermi level, the density of electronic states, and the distribution of the local density of electronic states (LDOS) were found. The electroconductive properties of holey graphene with round holes were calculated depending on the neck width. It was found that, depending on the neck width, holey graphene demonstrated a semiconductor type of conductivity with an energy gap varying in the range of 0.01–0.37 eV. It was also shown that by changing the neck width, it is possible to control the electrical conductivity of holey graphene. The anisotropy of holey graphene electrical conductivity was observed depending on the direction of the current transfer.

High-Performance, Long-Life, Rechargeable Li-CO2 Batteries based on a 3D Holey Graphene Cathode Implanted with Single Iron Atoms

A highly efficient cathode catalyst for rechargeable Li-CO₂ batteries is successfully synthesized by implanting single iron atoms into 3D porous carbon architectures, consisting of interconnected N,S-codoped holey graphene (HG) sheets. The unique porous 3D hierarchical architecture of the catalyst with a large surface area and sufficient space within the interconnected HG framework can not only facilitate electron transport and CO₂ /Li⁺ diffusion, but also allow for a high uptake of Li₂ CO₃ to ensure a high capacity. Consequently, the resultant rechargeable Li-CO₂ batteries exhibit a low potential gap of ≈1.17 V at 100 mA g^-1 and can be repeatedly charged and discharged for over 200 cycles with a cut-off capacity of 1000 mAh g^-1 at a high current density of 1 A g^-1 . Density functional theory calculations are performed and the observed appealing catalytic performance is correlated with the hierarchical structure of the carbon catalyst. This work provides an effective approach to the development of highly efficient cathode catalysts for metal-CO₂ batteries and beyond.

Three-Dimensional Hierarchically Porous Graphene Fiber-Shaped Supercapacitors with High Specific Capacitance and Rate Capability

Chemically converted graphene fiber-shaped supercapacitors (FSSCs) are highly promising flexible energy storage devices for wearable electronics. However, the ultralow specific capacitance and poor rate performance severely hamper their practical applications. They are caused by severe stacking of graphene nanosheets and tortuous ion diffusion path in graphene-based electrodes; thus, the ultralow utilization of graphene has been rarely carefully considered to date. Here, we address these issues by developing three-dimensional hierarchically porous graphene fiber with the incorporation of holey graphene for efficient utilization of graphene to achieve fast charge diffusion and good charge storage capability. Without deterioration in electrical but robust mechanical properties, the optimal graphene fiber shows ultrahigh specific capacitance of 220.1 F cm^-3 at current density of 0.1 A cm^-3 and boosted specific capacitance of 254.3 F cm^-3 at 0.1 A cm^-3 after nitrogen doping. Moreover, the nitrogen-doped 40% holey graphene hybrid fiber-assembled FSSC exhibits ultrahigh rate capability (96, 91, and 87% at current density of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 A cm^-3, respectively, and 67% even at ultrahigh current density of 10.0 A cm^-3) and excellent cycle stability (95.65% capacitance retention after 10 000 cycles). The contribution of three-dimensional interconnected hierarchically porous network to the enhanced electrochemical (EC) performance is semiquantitatively elucidated by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller and energy dispersive spectroscopy mapping. Our work gives insights into the importance of fully utilizing graphene and provides an efficient strategy for high EC performance in chemically converted graphene-based FSSCs.

High-Efficiency Cryo-Thermocells Assembled with Anisotropic Holey Graphene Aerogel Electrodes and a Eutectic Redox Electrolyte

Thermocells, capable of converting temperature-dependent electrochemical redox potentials into electrical power, can harvest waste or low-grade heat in an economical and continuous approach with zero carbon emission. However, the power density and conversion efficiency of thermocells are hindered by a narrow operation window and low ion conductivity of the electrodes, especially in freezing weather conditions. Herein, highly efficient cylindrical thermocells, working in a wide operation window of cold temperatures, are developed. A eutectic electrolyte consisting of formamide and water is formulated with a high ion conductivity, which is retained at a significantly extended lower limit of the operation window from conventional 0 to -40 °C. In parallel, an electrode material based on anisotropic holey graphene aerogel is synthesized with improved ion conductivity, especially at temperatures below 0 °C, due to its aligned graphene sheets and pores. By taking the advantages of both components, the power density and the Seebeck coefficient of a single-cylinder thermocell reaches an exceptionally high value, i.e., 3.6 W m^-2 and 1.3 mV K^-1 , respectively. Moreover, assembled thermocells in series packaging substantially enhance the voltage of the open-circuit, i.e., from 140 mV (1-cylinder thermocell) to 2.1 V (15-cylinder thermocells).

Sphere-to-Multipod Transmorphic Change of Nanoconfined Pt Electrocatalyst during Oxygen Reduction Reaction

An oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst/support system is designed to have Pt nanoparticles nanoconfined in a nanodimensionally limited space. Holey crumpled reduced graphene oxide plates (hCR-rGO) are used as a carbon support for Pt loading. As expected from interparticular Pt-to-Pt distance of Pt-loaded hCR-rGO longer than that of Pt/C (Pt-loaded carbon black as a practical Pt catalyst), the durability of ORR electroactivity along cycles is improved by replacing the widely used carbon black with hCR-rGO. Unexpected morphological changes of Pt are electrochemically induced during repeated ORR processes. Spherical multifaceted Pt particles are evolved to {110}-dominant dendritic multipods. Nanoconfinement of a limited number of Pt within a nanodimensionally limited space is responsible for the morphological changes. The improved durability observed from Pt-loaded hCR-rGO originates from 1) dendritic pod structure of Pt exposing more active sites to reactants and 2) highly ORR-active Pt {110} planes dominant on the surface.

Modified MXene/Holey Graphene Films for Advanced Supercapacitor Electrodes with Superior Energy Storage

MXene films are attractive for advanced supercapacitor electrodes requiring high volumetric energy density due to their high redox capacitance combined with extremely high packing density. However, the self-restacking of MXene flakes unavoidably decreases the volumetric performance, mass loading, and rate capability. Herein, a simple strategy is developed to prepare a flexible and free-standing modified MXene/holey graphene film by filtration of the alkalized MXene and holey graphene oxide dispersions, followed by a mild annealing treatment. After terminal groups (-F/-OH) are removed, the increased proportion of Ti atoms enables more pseudocapacitive reaction. Meanwhile, the embedded holey graphene effectively prevents the self-restacking of MXene and forms a high nanopore connectivity network, which is able to immensely accelerate the ion transport and shorten transport pathways for both ion and electron. When applied as electrode materials for supercapacitors, it can deliver an ultrahigh volumetric capacitance (1445 F cm-3) at 2 mV s-1, excellent rate capability, and high mass loading. In addition, the assembled symmetric supercapacitor demonstrates a fantastic volumetric energy density (38.6 Wh L-1), which is the highest value reported for MXene-based electrodes in aqueous electrolytes. This work opens a new avenue for the further exploration of MXene materials in energy storage devices.

Nano-RuO2 -Decorated Holey Graphene Composite Fibers for Micro-Supercapacitors with Ultrahigh Energy Density

Compactness and versatility of fiber-based micro-supercapacitors (FMSCs) make them promising for emerging wearable electronic devices as energy storage solutions. But, increasing the energy storage capacity of microscale fiber electrodes, while retaining their high power density, remains a significant challenge. Here, this issue is addressed by incorporating ultrahigh mass loading of ruthenium oxide (RuO2 ) nanoparticles (up to 42.5 wt%) uniformly on nanocarbon-based microfibers composed largely of holey reduced graphene oxide (HrGO) with a lower amount of single-walled carbon nanotubes as nanospacers. This facile approach involes (1) space-confined hydrothermal assembly of highly porous but 3D interconnected carbon structure, (2) impregnating wet carbon structures with aqueous Ru3+ ions, and (3) anchoring RuO2 nanoparticles on HrGO surfaces. Solid-state FMSCs assembled using those fibers demonstrate a specific volumetric capacitance of 199 F cm-3 at 2 mV s-1 . Fabricated FMSCs also deliver an ultrahigh energy density of 27.3 mWh cm-3 , the highest among those reported for FMSCs to date. Furthermore, integrating 20 pieces of FMSCs with two commercial flexible solar cells as a self-powering energy system, a light-emitting diode panel can be lit up stably. The current work highlights the excellent potential of nano-RuO2 -decorated HrGO composite fibers for constructing micro-supercapacitors with high energy density for wearable electronic devices.

Holey Reduced Graphene Oxide Coupled with an Mo2 N-Mo2 C Heterojunction for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution

An in situ catalytic etching strategy is developed to fabricate holey reduced graphene oxide along with simultaneous coupling with a small-sized Mo₂ N-Mo₂ C heterojunction (Mo₂ N-Mo₂ C/HGr). The method includes the first immobilization of H₃ PMo₁₂ O₄₀ (PMo₁₂ ) clusters on graphite oxide (GO), followed by calcination in air and NH₃ to form Mo₂ N-Mo₂ C/HGr. PMo₁₂ not only acts as the Mo heterojunction source, but also provides the Mo species that can in situ catalyze the decomposition of adjacent reduced GO to form HGr, while the released gas (CO) and introduced NH₃ simultaneously react with the Mo species to form an Mo₂ N-Mo₂ C heterojunction on HGr. The hybrid exhibits superior activity towards the hydrogen evolution reaction with low onset potentials of 11 mV (0.5 m H₂ SO₄ ) and 18 mV (1 m KOH) as well as remarkable stability. The activity in alkaline media is also superior to Pt/C at large current densities (>88 mA cm^-2 ). The good activity of Mo₂ N-Mo₂ C/HGr is ascribed to its small size, the heterojunction of Mo₂ N-Mo₂ C, and the good charge/mass-transfer ability of HGr, as supported by a series of experiments and theoretical calculations.

High Density of Free-Standing Holey Graphene/PPy Films for Superior Volumetric Capacitance of Supercapacitors

The volumetric performance is a vitally important metric for portable electronic and wearable devices with limited space. However, it is contradictory for the most supercapacitors in the connection between the volumetric and gravimetric capacitances. Herein, we report a simple strategy to prepare a free-standing and binder-free holey graphene/PPy film that possesses a dense microstructure but still high gravimetric capacitances. The holey graphene/PPy film own high-efficiency ion transport channels and big ion-accessible surface area to achieve high-powered supercapacitor electrodes, which have a superior volumetric capacitance (416 F cm^-3) and high gravimetric capacitance (438 F g^-1) at 1.0 A g^-1 in 6 M KOH electrolyte. Meanwhile, it possesses high rate capability and good cycling performance (82.4% capacitance retention even after 2000 cycles). Furthermore, the volumetric energy density of assembled holey graphene/PPy film symmetric supercapacitor can show high as 22.3 Wh L^-1. Such densely packed free-standing holey graphene/PPy film is a very significant electrode material for compact and miniaturized energy storage equipment in the further.

Compressible, Dense, Three-Dimensional Holey Graphene Monolithic Architecture

By creating holes in 2D nanosheets, tortuosity and porosity can be greatly tunable, which enables a fast manufacturing process (i.e., fast removal of gas and solvent) toward various nanostructures. We demonstrated outstanding compressibility of holey graphene nanosheets, which is impossible for pristine graphene. Holey graphene powder can be easily compressed into dense and strong monoliths with different shapes at room temperature without using any solvents or binders. The remarkable compressibility of holey graphene, which is in sharp contrast with pristine graphene, not only enables the fabrication of robust, dense graphene products that exhibit high density (1.4 g/cm³), excellent specific mechanical strength [18 MPa/(g/cm³)], and good electrical (130 S/cm) and thermal (20 W/mK) conductivities, but also provides a binder-free dry process that overcomes the disadvantages of wet processes required for fabrication of three-dimensional graphene products. Fundamentally different from graphite, the holey graphene products are both dense and porous, which can enable possible broader applications such as energy storage and gas separation membranes.

Dry-Processed, Binder-Free Holey Graphene Electrodes for Supercapacitors with Ultrahigh Areal Loadings

For commercial applications, the need for smaller footprint energy storage devices requires more energy to be stored per unit area. Carbon nanomaterials, especially graphene, have been studied as supercapacitor electrodes and can achieve high gravimetric capacities affording high gravimetric energy densities. However, most nanocarbon-based electrodes exhibit a significant decrease in their areal capacitances when scaled to the high mass loadings typically used in commercially available cells (∼10 mg/cm²). One of the reasons for this behavior is that the additional surface area in thick electrodes is not readily accessible by electrolyte ions due to the large tortuosity. Furthermore, the fabrication of such electrodes often involves complicated processes that limit the potential for mass production. Here, holey graphene electrodes for supercapacitors that are scalable in both production and areal capacitance are presented. The lateral surface porosity on the graphene sheets was created using a facile single-step air oxidation method, and the resultant holey graphene was compacted under ambient conditions into mechanically robust monolithic shapes that can be directly used as binder-free electrodes. In comparison, pristine graphene discs under similar binder-free compression molding conditions were extremely brittle and thus not deemed useful for electrode applications. The coin cell supercapacitors, based on these holey graphene electrodes exhibited small variations in gravimetric capacitance over a wide range of areal mass loadings (∼1-30 mg/cm²) at current densities as high as 30 mA/cm², resulting in the near-linear increase of the areal capacitance (F/cm²) with the mass loading. The prospects of the presented method for facile binder-free ultrathick graphene electrode fabrication are discussed.

Nitrogen-Doped Holey Graphene Film-Based Ultrafast Electrochemical Capacitors

The commercialized aluminum electrolytic capacitors (AECs) currently used for alternating current (AC) line-filtering are usually the largest components in the electronic circuits because of their low specific capacitances and bulky sizes. Herein, nitrogen-doped holey graphene (NHG) films were prepared by thermal annealing the composite films of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), graphene oxide (GO), and ferric oxide (Fe2O3) nanorods followed by chemical etching with hydrochloride acid. The typical electrochemical capacitor with NHG electrodes exhibited high areal and volumetric specific capacitances of 478 μF cm(-2) and 1.2 F cm(-3) at 120 Hz, ultrafast frequency response with a phase angle of -81.2° and a resistor-capacitor time constant of 203 μs at 120 Hz, as well as excellent cycling stability. Thus, it is promising to replace conventional AEC for AC line-filtering in miniaturized electronics.

Nitrogen-Doped Holey Graphene as an Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries with High Volumetric Energy Density and Long Cycle Life

Nitrogen-doped holey graphene (N-hG) as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries has delivered a maximum volumetric capacity of 384 mAh cm(-3) with an excellent long-term cycling life up to 6000 cycles, and as an electrochemical capacitor has delivered a maximum volumetric energy density of 171.2 Wh L(-1) and a volumetric capacitance of 201.6 F cm(-3) .

Solution Processable Holey Graphene Oxide and Its Derived Macrostructures for High-Performance Supercapacitors

Scalable preparation of solution processable graphene and its bulk materials with high specific surface areas and designed porosities is essential for many practical applications. Herein, we report a scalable approach to produce aqueous dispersions of holey graphene oxide with abundant in-plane nanopores via a convenient mild defect-etching reaction and demonstrate that the holey graphene oxide can function as a versatile building block for the assembly of macrostructures including holey graphene hydrogels with a three-dimensional hierarchical porosity and holey graphene papers with a compact but porous layered structure. These holey graphene macrostructures exhibit significantly improved specific surface area and ion diffusion rate compared to the nonholey counterparts and can be directly used as binder-free supercapacitor electrodes with ultrahigh specific capacitances of 283 F/g and 234 F/cm(3), excellent rate capabilities, and superior cycling stabilities. Our study defines a scalable pathway to solution processable holey graphene materials and will greatly impact the applications of graphene in diverse technological areas.

Fabrication of nitrogen-doped holey graphene hollow microspheres and their use as an active electrode material for lithium ion batteries

Nitrogen-doped holey graphene hollow microspheres (NHGHSs), synthesized through a template sacrificing method, were utilized as an anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Because of their specific microspherical hollow structure comprising nitrogen-doped holey graphene (NHG), the NHGHSs can exhibit reversible capacities of ∼ 1563 mAh g(-1) at a low rate of 0.5 C and ∼ 254 mAh g(-1) at a high rate of 20 C, which are significantly higher than the discharge capacity of the pristine graphene and other graphene-based carbonaceous materials. These, along with their good cycling stability, clearly demonstrate the great potential of using the NHGHSs as the anode material for LIBs of both high energy and power densities. We believe that the high specific surface area, holey structure of nitrogen-doped graphene, specific microspherical hollow structure, and increased interlayer spacing between the NHG nanosheets in their hollow walls are the main origins of their high electrochemical performance.