Morphological continuum and growth-stage design of plasma-grown graphene-based carbon architectures

Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) enables direct growth of graphitic nanostructures with high surface area, open porosity, and good electrical conductivity. Depending on growth conditions, the morphology evolves from isolated ultrathin carbon nanosheets to interconnected wall-like networks known as carbon nanowalls (CNWs), and further to isotropic porous frameworks often referred to as three-dimensional (3D) graphene. Although these architectures share common graphitic building blocks, terminology has often been used inconsistently. This article summarizes the growth behavior, structural characteristics, and representative applications of plasma-grown graphene architectures and clarifies their relationships from a growth-stage-dependent viewpoint. The structures are categorized into nanosheets, CNWs, branched CNWs, and 3D graphene based on geometry and connectivity, representing a continuous morphological transition rather than distinct carbon allotropes. This unified description provides a practical framework for consistent comparison and rational design of plasma-grown nanocarbon materials for electrochemical and energy-related applications. • Plasma-grown graphene-based carbon architectures form a continuous morphological spectrum. • Carbon nanowalls, branched networks, and porous frameworks represent growth-stage evolution. • Structural continuity clarifies inconsistent terminology in plasma-grown graphene materials. • Growth-stage design provides a practical framework for rational material architecture control.