Tong Wei

Despite their high theoretical capacity, Bi-based anodes are plagued by sluggish charge-transfer kinetics and severe structural degradation originating from poor electrical conductivity and repeated volume variation during alloying/dealloying. Herein, a graphene nanoribbon-interconnected Bi@Bi2O2CO3 (B/BOC-GR0.1) heterostructure is designed to simultaneously establish a continuous conductive network and reinforce the heterointerface. The Bi2O2CO3 shell effectively accommodates cyclic strain and stabilizes the electrode architecture, while graphene nanoribbons strengthen interfacial electronic coupling and accelerate electron transport, thereby synergistically promoting reaction kinetics and structural robustness. As a result, B/BOC-GR0.1 delivers 1560 C·g−1 at 1 A·g−1 and retains 795 C·g−1 at 50 A·g−1, greatly surpassing those of Bi anodes (623 C·g−1 at 1 A·g−1, 281 C·g−1 at 50 A·g−1). Moreover, after 5000 cycles at 10 A·g−1, B/BOC-GR0.1 maintains approximately 90% of its initial capacity. The constructed asymmetric supercapacitor achieves an energy density of 70 Wh·kg−1 at a power density of 752 W·kg−1, highlighting the potential of the designed heterostructure for advanced electrochemical energy-storage applications.

Large specific surface area (SSA) carbons have been demonstrated to be effective active materials and conductive substrates for energy storage devices, such as supercapacitors and batteries, due to their designable pore structures and buffering frameworks, as well as excellent electrical conductivity and chemical stability. Recently, tremendous efforts have been made in the design and preparation of large SSA carbons as electrode materials for energy storage devices applications, which can significantly enhance their capacitance, power and energy density, lifespan, and preeminent safety. In this review, recent advances in the development of large SSA carbons from structures and properties, porous carbon classifications, preparation strategies to energy storage applications in supercapacitors, lithium-ion batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, and zinc-air batteries are discussed. Finally, current challenges, future research directions, and prospects in the development of large SSA carbons for energy storage applications are highlighted.

Supercapacitors are extensively used in urban rail transit, electric vehicles, renewable energy storage, electronic products, and the military industry due to its long cycle life and high power density. Porous carbon materials are regarded as promising anode materials for supercapacitors due to their high specific surface areas and well-developed pore structures. However, the over-developed pore structure often results in poor conductivity and reduced cycle stability due to the destruction of a carbon skeleton. Herein, we introduce an advanced strategy for preparing porous carbon with high specific surface areas (3333 m² g⁻¹), high electrical conductivity (68.6 S m⁻¹), and fast ion transport channels through secondary high-temperature carbonization treatment. As a result, the fabricated porous carbon anode delivers a high specific capacitance (199.2 F g⁻¹ at 1 A g⁻¹) and outstanding rate performance (136.3 F g⁻¹ at 20 A g⁻¹) in organic electrolyte. Furthermore, the assembled symmetrical supercapacitor achieves an energy density of 43.2 Wh kg⁻¹ at 625.0 W kg⁻¹, highlighting the potential of a secondary high-temperature carbonization strategy in practical applications.

High-density MoS₂ nanodot pillared N-doped graphene blocks prepared by an electrostatic-induced densification strategy show high gravimetric/volumetric capacity, superior rate performance, and long cycle stability for electrochemical sodium storage.

Metal—organic frameworks (MOFs) with redox-active metal sites and controllable crystalline structures make it possible to access the merits of highly-efficient electrode materials in electrochemical energy storage systems. However, most MOFs suffer from low capacitance and poor cycling stability that largely thwart their application. Herein, we present the holey graphene oxide (HGO) template strategy to prepare nano two-dimensional Ni(BDC) with HGO as both template and capping agent (denoted as Ni(BDC)-HGOx, x = 10, 20, 30, and 40 according to the added HGO amount). Structural analyses reveal that HGO can significantly inhibit the Ni(BDC) agglomeration, thus offering a high ion-accessible surface area. Ni(BDC)-HGO30 with well-exposed active sites exhibits a high capacitance of 1,115.6 F·g⁻¹ at 1 A·g⁻¹ in 6 M KOH aqueous, 1.8 times that of bulk Ni(BDC). An asymmetric supercapacitor with Ni(BDC)-HGO30 as a positive electrode and activated carbon as the opposing electrode delivers an energy density of 52.5 W·h·kg⁻¹ and a power density up to 18.0 kW·kg⁻¹, with 92.5% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles. Galvanostatic intermittent titration technique and in situ electrochemical—Raman measurements were exploited to elucidate the electrochemical behavior of Ni(BDC)-HGO30. These results pave the way for the development of rationally tuned MOF materials for enhancing supercapacitor performances.