Recent developments of electrospun nanofibers for electrochemical energy storage and conversion

Abstract

Electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems have received remarkable attention during the past decades because of the high demand of the world energy consumption. Various materials along with the structure designs have been utilized to enhance the overall performance. Among them, nanofibers have been widely explored due to their unique properties (i.e., high surface area, multi-functionality, high porosity, outstanding flexibility, etc.) during the past few decades. Meanwhile, electrospinning, considered a simple and low-cost approach, has attracted tremendous attention because those nanofibrous materials with functional properties prepared by this unique technique can address numerous issues, especially in energy fields. This paper aims to comprehensively review the latest advances in developing advanced electrospun nanofibers for electrochemical devices. It starts with a brief introduction to the advantages of the electrospinning technique. It highlights ongoing research activities, followed by the history of electrospinning, the principle of electro-spinning, and the uniqueness of electrospun nanofibers. Afterward, state-of-the-art developments for their applications in electrochemical devices, including but not limited to rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells, solar cells, hydrogen storage, etc., are discussed in detail. A future vision regarding challenges and solutions is proposed at the end. This review aims to provide an extensive and comprehensive reference to apply functional electrospun nanofibers in energy areas.