Historical structural modelling and recent merits/demerits of physicochemical properties from synthesis methodologies as well as the prospects of using reduced graphene oxide in modern devices from the perspective of graphene oxide.

Sustainable and renewable energy resources, as well as energy storage systems (ESSs), are amongst the current and critical global requirements. A comparative discussion on batteries, fuel cells and electrochemical capacitors (ECs) is presented. The mechanisms involved in various classes of ECs are also elaborated. Additionally, a historical background highlighting some of the major steps associated with EC development over the years is discussed in this review. In particular, carbon nanostructured materials have high potential in the development of ESSs, and hence this review presents an insight on the current ESSs with a strong bias towards these materials as ECs. The current status of carbon nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes, nanofibers, nano-onions, nanorods, fullerenes and graphene nanosheets, in ECs is reviewed. The associated effects of nanostructural parameters, such as pore sizes and specific electro-active areas, amongst others, in terms of energy storage capabilities are also discussed. Typical physicochemical characterisation techniques, which enrich understanding of their characteristics, are also reviewed. The discussion views set platforms for a variety of unique carbon nanomaterial designs with high prospective specific capacitance. Key porosity tailoring protocols, such as chemical activation, introduction of heteroatoms in carbon nanostructures and template synthesis methods, are also reviewed. The effects of other device components, such as electrolyte ion size and solvent system, electrode design and use of binders, to the overall capability of EC, are also discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Nanocomposites consisting of multiwalled carbon nanotubes and titania were synthesized by two methods, namely, sol-gel and chemical vapour deposition

This review discusses how incorporating graphene derivatives as components of perovskite, charge transport and blocking layers of perovskite solar cells affects substrate coverage, defect passivation, morphology and charge extraction/transport.