Hollow micro/nanostructured materials prepared by ion exchange synthesis and their potential applications

In recent years there has been a growing interest in synthesizing hollow micro/nanostructure materials using ion exchange methods. This approach was largely enabled by physical and chemical breakthroughs that allowed the reproducible and affordable synthesis of such structures. This Review Article aims at summarizing the approaches based on ion exchange methods. It is not intended as a comprehensive coverage of the field, which can in part be found in other excellent reviews, but rather a selection of those contributions that we feel would most help put this emerging field in perspective. Preliminary studies show that the ion exchange method provides a simple and effective route for the synthesis of hollow micro/nanostructures and also results in other complex nanostructures that are challenging to be synthesized by conventional methods. Finally, applications of hollow structures in lithium-ion batteries, photocatalysis, and biomedicine are discussed.