Rational Design of Electrode Materials for Advanced Supercapacitors: From Lab Research to Commercialization

Supercapacitors can harvest electrical energy from intermittent sources and transfer it quickly, but their specific energy must be raised if they are applied to efficiently power wearable and flexible electronics, as well as larger equipment. However, the remaining big gap between the lab research and practical applications seriously hinders the further progress of advanced supercapacitors, especially for electrode materials. Consequently, from a commercial/usable perspective, a clear guideline from lab research to commercialization is highly desired for bringing advanced supercapacitors from basic research into reality. This review focuses on the key factors of advanced supercapacitors from lab research to commercialization and summarizes recent progress in the field of supercapacitors as well as outlines key perspectives for future research. First, the several energy storage mechanisms are illustrated for building better supercapacitors. Then, the up-to-date key achievements and progresses of smart methods toward high-energy supercapacitors and effective strategies for commercial-level mass-loading as well as high packing density electrodes are summarized and commented upon. Also, integrated systems of supercapacitors and application fields of commercial supercapacitors are also highlighted. Subsequently, future research directions are presented here to guide research toward the commercialization of advanced supercapacitors.