Graphene has attracted tremendous research interest in recent years, owing to its exceptional properties. The scaled-up and reliable production of graphene derivatives, such as graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), offers a wide range of possibilities to synthesize graphene-based functional materials for various applications. This critical review presents and discusses the current development of graphene-based composites. After introduction of the synthesis methods for graphene and its derivatives as well as their properties, we focus on the description of various methods to synthesize graphene-based composites, especially those with functional polymers and inorganic nanostructures. Particular emphasis is placed on strategies for the optimization of composite properties. Lastly, the advantages of graphene-based composites in applications such as the Li-ion batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells, photovoltaic devices, photocatalysis, as well as Raman enhancement are described (279 references).

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Graphene-based composites

Graphene based materials: Past, present and future

Graphene, a two-dimensional, single-layer sheet of sp(2) hybridized carbon atoms, has attracted tremendous attention and research interest, owing to its exceptional physical properties, such as high electronic conductivity, good thermal stability, and excellent mechanical strength. Other forms of graphene-related materials, including graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, and exfoliated graphite, have been reliably produced in large scale. The promising properties together with the ease of processibility and functionalization make graphene-based materials ideal candidates for incorporation into a variety of functional materials. Importantly, graphene and its derivatives have been explored in a wide range of applications, such as electronic and photonic devices, clean energy, and sensors. In this review, after a general introduction to graphene and its derivatives, the synthesis, characterization, properties, and applications of graphene-based materials are discussed.

Graphene-Based Materials: Synthesis, Characterization, Properties, and Applications

Supercapacitors have drawn considerable attention in recent years due to their high specific power, long cycle life, and ability to bridge the power/energy gap between conventional capacitors and batteries/fuel cells. Nanostructured electrode materials have demonstrated superior electrochemical properties in producing high-performance supercapacitors. In this review article, we describe the recent progress and advances in designing nanostructured supercapacitor electrode materials based on various dimensions ranging from zero to three. We highlight the effect of nanostructures on the properties of supercapacitors including specific capacitance, rate capability and cycle stability, which may serve as a guideline for the next generation of supercapacitor electrode design.

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Supercapacitor electrode materials: nanostructures from 0 to 3 dimensions

Three-dimensional (3D) N-doped graphene aerogel (N-GA)-supported Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4/N-GAs) as efficient cathode catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are reported. The graphene hybrids exhibit an interconnected macroporous framework of graphene sheets with uniform dispersion of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs). In studying the effects of the carbon support on the Fe3O4 NPs for the ORR, we found that Fe3O4/N-GAs show a more positive onset potential, higher cathodic density, lower H2O2 yield, and higher electron transfer number for the ORR in alkaline media than Fe3O4 NPs supported on N-doped carbon black or N-doped graphene sheets, highlighting the importance of the 3D macropores and high specific surface area of the GA support for improving the ORR performance. Furthermore, Fe3O4/N-GAs show better durability than the commercial Pt/C catalyst.

3D Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Aerogel-Supported Fe3O4 Nanoparticles as Efficient Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

The rapidly growing demand for batteries has led to the lack of global mineral resources and rechargeable organic batteries are paid extensive attention due to the advantages of organic electrodes of abundance in resource, being lightweight, and high flexibility. However, mostly organic electrodes utilizing the aliphatic backbones were non-degradable, leading to unsustainability when the active sites fail. Herein, a poly(aspartic acid) polypeptide with amide links in the backbone and nitroxide radical pendant groups in the side chains was successfully synthesized via modifying the polypeptides with 4-amino-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine. In combination with the Zn anode, the PASP-Tempo composite electrode exhibited rapid charging/discharging and superior cyclic stability with reversible two-electron redox reaction in an aqueous electrolyte. The Zn/PASP-Tempo organic radical battery delivered a discharge capacity of ~80  by two-electron reaction and charge/discharge rates of up to 18 . Because the redox reaction process of the nitroxyl radical turning into oxoammonium was a p-type mechanism that interacts with an anion, three electrolytes with different anions were conducted in the Zn/PASP-Tempo organic radical battery. Experimental results indicated that discharge plateau voltage was tunable by choosing different zinc salts as electrolytes. And it was found that the capacity retention of up to 97.4% after 500 cycles was realized in 1m ZnClO 4 electrolyte which can be attributed to the adjacent reaction potentials of the two-step one-electron reaction.

Polypeptide Radical Cathode for Aqueous Zn-Ion Battery with Two-electron Storage and Faster Charging Rate.

The invention discloses a method for detecting plasmids of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in an environment and an application thereof, and relates to the fields of molecular biology and environmental biotechnology. According to the method provided by the invention, by extracting the promoter of a humanized AHR (Aromatic Hydrocarbon Receptor) gene, using a CV060 plasmid including a firefly luciferase and renilla luciferase reporter gene as a carrier and inserting the AHR gene promoter with a specific sequence, a recombined lentivirus plasmid of a reference internal type dual-luciferase reporter gene including the AHR gene promoter is built. The detection method provided by the invention is good in repeatability, high in sensitivity, reliable in detection result, and simple and convenient to operate, and can be widely applied to the detection of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the environment.

Method for detecting plasmids of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environment and application thereof

A series of novel Y-shaped biodegradable block co-polymers of poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(ethyl ethylene phosphate) (PEEP) (PCL–(PEEP)2) were synthesized via ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of EEP with bis-hydroxy-functional ROP initiator (init–PCL–(OH)2). The init–PCL–(OH)2 was synthesized by ROP of CL using 4-hydroxybutyl acrylate (HBA) as initiator and L-tartaric acid as catalyst in bulk, and subsequently the resulting vinyl-terminated PCL was end-capped by acetyl chloride, followed by Michael addition using excess diethanolamine. The Y-shaped co-polymers and their intermediates were characterized by 1 H-, 13 C-, 31 P-NMR, FT-IR and gel-permeation chromatography. The results indicated that the molecular weight of the Y-shaped co-polymers increased with the increasing of the molar ratios of EEP to init–PCL– (OH)2 in the feed, while the PCL chain length was kept constant. The amphiphilic block co-polymers could self-assemble into micelles in aqueous solution, which was demonstrated by dynamic light scattering, 1 H-NMR and atomic force microscopy. A study of controlled release of indomethacin indicated that the

Synthesis of biodegradable amphiphilic Y-shaped block co-polymers via ring-opening polymerization for drug delivery.

Self-assembled monolayers modified and further silanized graphene nanosheets reinforced silicone rubber with highly mechanical performance

Polysaccharide hydrogel electrolytes with robust interfacial contact to electrodes for quasi-solid state flexible aqueous zinc ion batteries with efficient suppressing of dendrite growth.

Lifeng Yan

Papers

Polypeptide Radical Cathode for Aqueous Zn-Ion Battery with Two-electron Storage and Faster Charging Rate.

Method for detecting plasmids of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environment and application thereof

Synthesis of biodegradable amphiphilic Y-shaped block co-polymers via ring-opening polymerization for drug delivery.

Self-assembled monolayers modified and further silanized graphene nanosheets reinforced silicone rubber with highly mechanical performance

Polysaccharide hydrogel electrolytes with robust interfacial contact to electrodes for quasi-solid state flexible aqueous zinc ion batteries with efficient suppressing of dendrite growth.