Nanostructured energy materials for electrochemical energy conversion and storage: A review

Nanostructured materials have received tremendous interest due to their unique mechanical/electrical properties and overall behavior contributed by the complex synergy of bulk and interfacial properties for efficient and effective energy conversion and storage. The booming development of nanotechnology affords emerging but effective tools in designing advanced energy material. We reviewed the significant progress and dominated nanostructured energy materials in electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices, including lithium ion batteries, lithium–sulfur batteries, lithium–oxygen batteries, lithium metal batteries, and supercapacitors. The use of nanostructured electrocatalyst for effective electrocatalysis in oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions for fuel cells and metal–air batteries was also included. The challenges in the undesirable side reactions between electrolytes and electrode due to high electrode/electrolyte contact area, low volumetric energy density of electrode owing to low tap density, and uniform production of complex energy materials in working devices should be overcome to fully demonstrate the advanced energy nanostructures for electrochemical energy conversion and storage. The energy chemistry at the interfaces of nanostructured electrode/electrolyte is highly expected to guide the rational design and full demonstration of energy materials in a working device.