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Morphology‐Conserved Transformations of Metal‐Based Precursors to Hierarchically Porous Micro‐/Nanostructures for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage
Author(s) -
Chen Min,
Zhang Yueguang,
Xing Lidan,
Liao Youhao,
Qiu Yongcai,
Yang Shihe,
Li Weishan
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.201607015
Subject(s) - materials science , supercapacitor , nanostructure , electrolyte , nanotechnology , porosity , energy storage , electrochemistry , battery (electricity) , chemical engineering , electrode , composite material , power (physics) , chemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering
To meet future market demand, developing new structured materials for electrochemical energy conversion and storage systems is essential. Hierarchically porous micro‐/nanostructures are favorable for designing such high‐performance materials because of their unique features, including: i) the prevention of nanosized particle agglomeration and minimization of interfacial contact resistance, ii) more active sites and shorter ionic diffusion lengths because of their size compared with their large‐size counterparts, iii) convenient electrolyte ingress and accommodation of large volume changes, and iv) enhanced light‐scattering capability. Here, hierarchically porous micro‐/nanostructures produced by morphology‐conserved transformations of metal‐based precursors are summarized, and their applications as electrodes and/or catalysts in rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors, and solar cells are discussed. Finally, research and development challenges relating to hierarchically porous micro‐/nanostructures that must be overcome to increase their utilization in renewable energy applications are outlined.