Advances in COFs for energy storage devices: Harnessing the potential of covalent organic framework materials

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have attracted significant attention in the materials science community on account of their unique properties and versatile applications. These ingenious frameworks possess an array of desirable qualities including uniform porosity, multifaceted functionality, as well as the possibility to shape their structures intricately. However, their true significance lies within their porous framework, which not only facilitates the seamless flow of charge and mass but also shows remarkable ability for reversible redox activity. Thus, COFs have become the focus of the scientific community, sparking immense interest because of their potential applications in electrochemical energy-storage devices such as supercapacitors and rechargeable batteries. The quest to unlock their full potential has led to various ingenious design strategies, each aimed at enhancing their electrochemical properties. This review unravels the working principles of COFs, explores their synthesis methods, and unveils the remarkable discoveries that lie within them. By shedding light on the symbiotic relationship between design strategies and electrochemical performance and by highlighting the groundbreaking computational advancements that have further propelled this subject, this contribution aims to both unlock the prospects and embrace the challenges for COFs in the field of materials science.