Fan Jianming New Energy Storage Materials

Can nanomaterials improve the performance of energy storage devices?

The development of nanomaterials and their related processing into electrodes and devices can improve the performance and/or development of the existing energy storage systems. We provide a perspective on recent progress in the application of nanomaterials in energy storage devices, such as supercapacitors and batteries.

How does nanostructuring affect energy storage?

This review takes a holistic approach to energy storage, considering battery materials that exhibit bulk redox reactions and supercapacitor materials that store charge owing to the surface processes together, because nanostructuring often leads to erasing boundaries between these two energy storage solutions.

What are the limitations of nanomaterials in energy storage devices?

The limitations of nanomaterials in energy storage devices are related to their high surface area—which causes parasitic reactions with the electrolyte, especially during the first cycle, known as the first cycle irreversibility—as well as their agglomeration.

Are nanomaterials compatible with advanced manufacturing techniques?

Furthermore, the compatibility of nanomaterials with advanced manufacturing techniques—such as printing, spray coating, roll-to-roll assembly, and so on—allows for the design and realization of wearable, flexible, and foldable energy storage devices.

Which nanomaterials are used in energy storage?

Although the number of studies of various phenomena related to the performance of nanomaterials in energy storage is increasing year by year, only a few of them—such as graphene sheets, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), carbon black, and silicon nanoparticles—are currently used in commercial devices, primarily as additives (18).

Are nanostructures good for storing a large amount of charge?

A large family of conversion materials—such as oxides, sulfides, and fluorides—offer potential for storing a large amount of charge, but they have poor cyclability coupled with phase transformation and large volume change (90). Benefits of nanostructures have been fully demonstrated on these materials as well (20).