Templating synthesis of porous carbons for energy-related applications: A review

Because of their large specific surface area, high chemical and thermal stability and good electrical conductivity, porous carbons have found wide applications in the fields of electrochemical energy storage and conversion. Their performance hinges heavily on their structure, making the structural control of porous carbons a research frontier in their development. In addition to the straightforward hard-templating processes, soft templating synthesis is considered another appealing strategy for the precise engineering of porous carbons. We review recent progress on synthesizing porous carbon materials for energy storage and conversion using templating processes. First, the rise of this method of preparing porous carbons is outlined by comparing it with the traditional hard templating methods. Soft templating methods are then classified into top-down, state-change and bottom-up templates based on the template formation processes. The performance of these materials in electrochemical energy storage and conversion is presented, highlighting the advantages of this synthesis method. Finally, possible obstacles and future prospects are provided.