# Graphene for energy

> Graphene in energy storage and conversion in six panels: activated graphene with nanometre pores, laser-scribed graphene from a DVD drive, micro-supercapacitors written on one disc, nitrogen-doped graphene for oxygen reduction against platinum, and graphene/silicon Schottky solar cells.

- Page: https://www.labcanvas.com/templates/graphene-research/graphene-energy
- Open in the LabCanvas editor (LabCanvas account): https://www.labcanvas.com/editor.html?template=graphene-energy-applications
- Updated: 2026-10-14
- Category: Graphene research
- Method: Energy
- Starting materials: Exfoliated graphite oxide, graphite-oxide films, CVD graphene on n-Si
- Product: Porous electrodes, micro-supercapacitors, ORR catalysts and solar cells
- Key result: Structures and devices drawn in 3D after the cited papers, pore sizes not to scale; J–V curves computed from the reported cells
- Figure: 1920 × 1080 px, 45 editable layers (6 generated objects with settings)

## Steps

1. **Activated graphene**: Chemical activation of exfoliated graphite oxide gave a continuous 3D network of highly curved, atom-thick walls with pores mostly 0.6 to 5 nm wide and a BET surface area of up to 3100 m²/g (Zhu et al. 2011)
2. **Laser-scribed graphene**: A LightScribe DVD drive reduces graphite-oxide films to graphene that conducts 1738 S/m and has 1520 m²/g of surface, usable as electrodes with no binder or current collector (El-Kady et al. 2012); the drive’s 780 nm laser writes with a spot of about 20 µm (Namdar et al. 2022)
3. **Micro-supercapacitors**: More than 100 micro-supercapacitors written on a single disc in 30 min or less; on flexible substrates about 200 W cm⁻³ (El-Kady & Kaner 2013)
4. **N-doped graphene**: Carbon atoms next to nitrogen favour the adsorption and activation of O₂ (Chen et al. 2015)
5. **Against platinum**: N-graphene made by CVD of methane with ammonia reduces oxygen by the four-electron pathway in alkaline fuel cells, with much better activity, long-term stability and crossover tolerance than platinum (Qu et al. 2010)
6. **Graphene/Si solar cells**: Graphene/n-Si Schottky cells were first reported in 2010 (Li et al. 2010); about 20 Å of Al₂O₃ between graphene and Si raised the best cell from 7.2 % to 8.7 % (Alnuaimi et al. 2018)

## Strengths

- High surface area without a binder (El-Kady et al. 2012)
- A metal-free alternative to platinum (Qu et al. 2010)
- Simple junctions with silicon

## Limitations

- Performance depends strongly on the process
- Cell efficiencies stay below silicon’s own junctions

## Uses

- Supercapacitors and micro-power
- Alkaline fuel cells
- Photovoltaics

## References

1. Zhu et al., “Carbon-based supercapacitors produced by activation of graphene”, Science 2011. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1200770 (primary)
2. El-Kady et al., “Laser scribing of high-performance and flexible graphene-based electrochemical capacitors”, Science 2012. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1216744 (primary)
3. El-Kady & Kaner, “Scalable fabrication of high-power graphene micro-supercapacitors for flexible and on-chip energy storage”, Nat. Commun. 2013. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms2446 (primary)
4. Qu et al., “Nitrogen-doped graphene as efficient metal-free electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction in fuel cells”, ACS Nano 2010. https://doi.org/10.1021/nn901850u (primary)
5. Alnuaimi et al., “Interface engineering of graphene–silicon Schottky junction solar cells with an Al₂O₃ interfacial layer grown by atomic layer deposition”, RSC Adv. 2018. https://doi.org/10.1039/c7ra13443f (primary)
6. Wu et al., “Creating pores on graphene platelets by low-temperature KOH activation for enhanced electrochemical performance”, Small 2016. https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.201503855 (further reading)
7. Namdar, Ghasemi & Sanaee, “Plasma-assisted three-dimensional lightscribe graphene as high-performance supercapacitors”, Sci. Rep. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-08315-9 (further reading)
8. Chen et al., “Nitrogen-doped graphene-supported transition-metals carbide electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction”, Sci. Rep. 2015. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep10389 (further reading)
9. Li et al., “Graphene-on-silicon Schottky junction solar cells”, Adv. Mater. 2010. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.200904383 (further reading)
10. Miao et al., “High efficiency graphene solar cells by chemical doping”, Nano Lett. 2012. https://doi.org/10.1021/nl204414u (further reading)

Credit: Drawn and computed by LabCanvas after Zhu et al., Science 2011 (doi:10.1126/science.1200770), El-Kady et al., Science 2012, El-Kady & Kaner, Nat. Commun. 2013, Qu et al., ACS Nano 2010, Alnuaimi et al., RSC Adv. 2018, and the papers in the details.

## Questions

**What does the “Graphene for energy” template show?** Graphene in energy storage and conversion in six panels: activated graphene with nanometre pores, laser-scribed graphene from a DVD drive, micro-supercapacitors written on one disc, nitrogen-doped graphene for oxygen reduction against platinum, and graphene/silicon Schottky solar cells.

**What are the steps shown in “Graphene for energy”?** 1. Activated graphene: Chemical activation of exfoliated graphite oxide gave a continuous 3D network of highly curved, atom-thick walls with pores mostly 0.6 to 5 nm wide and a BET surface area of up to 3100 m²/g (Zhu et al. 2011). 2. Laser-scribed graphene: A LightScribe DVD drive reduces graphite-oxide films to graphene that conducts 1738 S/m and has 1520 m²/g of surface, usable as electrodes with no binder or current collector (El-Kady et al. 2012); the drive’s 780 nm laser writes with a spot of about 20 µm (Namdar et al. 2022). 3. Micro-supercapacitors: More than 100 micro-supercapacitors written on a single disc in 30 min or less; on flexible substrates about 200 W cm⁻³ (El-Kady & Kaner 2013). 4. N-doped graphene: Carbon atoms next to nitrogen favour the adsorption and activation of O₂ (Chen et al. 2015). 5. Against platinum: N-graphene made by CVD of methane with ammonia reduces oxygen by the four-electron pathway in alkaline fuel cells, with much better activity, long-term stability and crossover tolerance than platinum (Qu et al. 2010). 6. Graphene/Si solar cells: Graphene/n-Si Schottky cells were first reported in 2010 (Li et al. 2010); about 20 Å of Al₂O₃ between graphene and Si raised the best cell from 7.2 % to 8.7 % (Alnuaimi et al. 2018).

**What are the starting materials and the product?** Starting materials: Exfoliated graphite oxide, graphite-oxide films, CVD graphene on n-Si. Product: Porous electrodes, micro-supercapacitors, ORR catalysts and solar cells.

**Which papers is “Graphene for energy” based on?** Zhu et al., “Carbon-based supercapacitors produced by activation of graphene”, Science 2011 (doi:10.1126/science.1200770); El-Kady et al., “Laser scribing of high-performance and flexible graphene-based electrochemical capacitors”, Science 2012 (doi:10.1126/science.1216744); El-Kady & Kaner, “Scalable fabrication of high-power graphene micro-supercapacitors for flexible and on-chip energy storage”, Nat. Commun. 2013 (doi:10.1038/ncomms2446); Qu et al., “Nitrogen-doped graphene as efficient metal-free electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction in fuel cells”, ACS Nano 2010 (doi:10.1021/nn901850u); Alnuaimi et al., “Interface engineering of graphene–silicon Schottky junction solar cells with an Al₂O₃ interfacial layer grown by atomic layer deposition”, RSC Adv. 2018 (doi:10.1039/c7ra13443f); Wu et al., “Creating pores on graphene platelets by low-temperature KOH activation for enhanced electrochemical performance”, Small 2016 (doi:10.1002/smll.201503855); Namdar, Ghasemi & Sanaee, “Plasma-assisted three-dimensional lightscribe graphene as high-performance supercapacitors”, Sci. Rep. 2022 (doi:10.1038/s41598-022-08315-9); Chen et al., “Nitrogen-doped graphene-supported transition-metals carbide electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction”, Sci. Rep. 2015 (doi:10.1038/srep10389); Li et al., “Graphene-on-silicon Schottky junction solar cells”, Adv. Mater. 2010 (doi:10.1002/adma.200904383); Miao et al., “High efficiency graphene solar cells by chemical doping”, Nano Lett. 2012 (doi:10.1021/nl204414u).

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