Morphology-Conserved Transformations of Metal-Based Precursors to Hierarchically Porous Micro-/Nanostructures for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage

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.

Hierarchically porous micro-/nanostructures are favorable for enhancing electrochemical performances of energy conversion and storage devices. Hierarchically porous micro-/nanostructures produced by the morphology-conserved transformations of various metal-based precursors are summarized, and their applications as electrodes and/or catalysts in rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors, and solar cells, are systematically discussed.

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