Self-assembly of nanoparticles at solid-liquid interface for electrochemical capacitors

Self-assembly of nanoparticles at solid-liquid interface could be promising to realize the assembled functions for various applications, such as rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors, and electrocatalysis. This review summarizes the self-assembly of the nanoparticles at solid-liquid interface according to the different driving forces of assembly, including hydrophilic-hydrophobic interactions, solvophobic and electrostatic interaction. To be specific, the self-assembly can be divided into the following two types: surfactant-assisted self-assembly and direct self-assembly of Janus particles (inorganic and amphiphilic copolymer-inorganic Janus nanoparticles). Using the emulsion stabilized by nanoparticles as the template, the self-assembly constructed by the interaction of the nanostructure unit (including metal, metal oxide, and semiconductor, etc.) not only possesses the characteristic of nanostructure unit, but also exhibits the excellent assembly performance in electrochemistry aspect. The application of these assemblies in the area of electrochemical capacitors is presented. Finally, the current research progress and perspectives toward the self-assembly of nanoparticles at stabilized solid-liquid interface are proposed.