Polyoxometalate modified inorganic–organic nanocomposite materials for energy storage applications: A review

Modification of organic substrates with inorganic polyoxometalate (POM) clusters can be used to engineer nanocomposite materials with improved properties and diverse functionalities. This review will outline concepts and methodologies for fabricating POM based inorganic–organic composite materials with a special focus on the electrochemical functionality of these composites for energy storage applications. The strengths and limitations of three different fabrication techniques, chemisorption to a carbon surface, immobilization in a polymer matrix, and layer-by-layer self-assembly will be assessed. Furthermore, the latest developments in the use of POM nanocomposite materials in energy storage applications like electrochemical capacitors (ECs) and lithium ion batteries will be presented. This review will highlight the issues and challenges that need to be addressed to achieve inorganic–organic POM nanocomposites able to support high performance energy storage applications.