Graphene and its derivatives as versatile templates for materials synthesis and functional applications

The obvious incongruity between the increasing depletion of fossil fuel and the finite amount of resources has motivated us to seek means to maintain sustainability in our society. Developing renewable and highly efficient energy conversion and storage systems represents one of the most promising and viable methods. Although the efficiency of energy conversion and storage devices depends on various factors, their overall performances strongly rely on the structure and functional properties of materials. Graphene and its derivatives as versatile templates for materials synthesis have garnered widespread interest because of their flexible capability to tune the morphology and structure of functional materials. Herein, we have demonstrated recent progress on graphene and its derivatives as versatile templates for materials synthesis, particularly highlighting the basic fundamental roles of graphene in the materials preparation process. Then, a concise overview of the functional applications of materials obtained from graphene-templated approaches has been presented with a few selected examples to show the wide scope of potential in energy storage and conversion. Finally, a brief perspective and potential future challenges in this burgeoning research area have been discussed.