Quantum dots as fabricating materials for supercapacitors

Abstract

There has been an increasing demand for the storage of energy generated from different renewable sources owing to the subsequent depletion of conventional energy sources. An increase in the global population has also boosted the energy requirement in our society. The energy storage devices, mainly supercapacitors, have been a partial solution to these current issues. However, the quality and performance of the present supercapacitors need to be enriched. Thus, there has been a quest for the search for appropriate materials for the fabrication of supercapacitors. In this concern, quantum dots have exhibited outstanding characteristics as fluorescent electrolytes and electrode materials for supercapacitors. Quantum dots have also been integrated with different metals and polymers to form electrodes with excellent electrochemical properties. Apart from commonly used graphene quantum dots and carbon quantum dots, a few other quantum dots of metal composites have also been explored. This review discusses the synthesis, electrochemical properties, and application of different quantum dots in the fabrication of supercapacitors to improve their inherent properties.