Carbon-based nanostructured materials incorporating carbon dots for supercapacitors: a review

Carbon dots (CDs) exhibit unique quantum confinement effects and edge characteristics, in addition to their exceptional stability, large specific surface area and electrical conductivity. One research direction for CDs is to prepare these materials at a low cost and with a high quantum yield. Specifically, CDs encompass CQDs, GQDs, CNDs, and CPDs. Another direction for enhancing the performance of materials is combining various carbon dots with different materials, such as porous carbon, three-dimensional graphene, carbon nanofiber (CNT) fabrics, and networks of CNTs. The combination of various types of carbon dots with 3D nanostructures results in distinct properties. This review aims to summarize recent advancements in 3D carbon-based nanostructured materials incorporating carbon dots for SC applications while documenting their electrochemical properties in a tabular form. Finally, the primary challenges and future perspectives concerning electrode materials are discussed to meaningfully contribute to the advancement of high-performance supercapacitors (SCs).