Low temperature growth of three-dimensional network of graphene for high-performance supercapacitor electrodes

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) from gaseous hydrocarbon sources has shown great promises for large-scale graphene growth, but the high growth temperature may destroy the metal skeleton. Here we demonstrate a facile CVD route to grow 3D network of graphene on Ni foam at a low temperature of 550 °C, adopting camphor as the feedstock. A freestanding graphene network with no binder and high conductivity can be obtained to act as efficient supercapacitor electrodes, exhibiting a high specific capacitance of 390 F/g without combining with any other electroactive materials. This research provides a feasible method for low-cost, high-performance and renewable materials in energy conversion and storage devices.