Energy storage: The future enabled by nanomaterials

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 366; no. 6468
• Main Authors: Pomerantseva, Ekaterina, Bonaccorso, Francesco, Feng, Xinliang, Cui, Yi, Gogotsi, Yury
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The American Association for the Advancement of Science 22.11.2019; AAAS
• Subjects: Additives; Alloying elements; Atomic layer epitaxy; Batteries; Biomedical materials; Carbon; catalysis (heterogeneous), solar (fuels), energy storage (including batteries and capacitors), hydrogen and fuel cells, electrodes - solar, mechanical behavior, charge transport, materials and chemistry by design, synthesis (novel materials); Chemical composition; Coated electrodes; Conductivity; Diffusion rate; Distributed sensor systems; Electric vehicles; Electrochemical analysis; Electrochemistry; Electrode materials; Electrodes; Electronic devices; Electronics; Energy; Energy storage; Exploitation; Flux density; Integration; Intercalation; Libraries; Lithium; Manufacturing; Manufacturing industry; Nanomaterials; Nanoparticles; Nanostructured materials; Nanotechnology; Nanotubes; Organic chemistry; Oxides; Quantum dots; Scientific Concepts; Self-assembly; Silicon; Slurries; Storage; Storage batteries; Sulfur; Surface area; Surface stability; Technology; Transition metals
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.aan8285

Lithium-ion batteries, which power portable electronics, electric vehicles, and stationary storage, have been recognized with the 2019 Nobel Prize in chemistry. 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. The versatility of nanomaterials can lead to power sources for portable, flexible, foldable, and distributable electronics; electric transportation; and grid-scale storage, as well as integration in living environments and biomedical systems. To overcome limitations of nanomaterials related to high reactivity and chemical instability caused by their high surface area, nanoparticles with different functionalities should be combined in smart architectures on nano- and microscales. The integration of nanomaterials into functional architectures and devices requires the development of advanced manufacturing approaches. We discuss successful strategies and outline a roadmap for the exploitation of nanomaterials for enabling future energy storage applications, such as powering distributed sensor networks and flexible and wearable electronics.