Nanostructured Electrode Materials for High-Energy Rechargeable Li, Na and Zn Batteries

Fossil fuel is the main energy resource currently. The continuous consumption of this nonrenewable resource has caused very serious environment problems, which has motivated tremendous research efforts in this century. Energy storage is critical to alleviate the current energy and environmental problems. Comparing to mechanical energy storage, rechargeable batteries allow energy storage with a smaller footprint. The intersection of rechargeable battery with nanomaterials has been a booming research topic recently and yielded new applications of nanomaterials as well as new solutions to many long-lived problems in battery science and technology. In this Perspective, we highlight the most recent (2015–2017) examples across lithium, sodium and zinc battery chemistries, where nanoscale materials tailoring and design addresses the intrinsic problems and limitations at both the materials level and device level. And a few principles are generalized at the end.