Recent Progress in the Design of Functional Carbon Materials for Energy Storage

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Functional carbon materials have emerged as important materials in electrochemical energy storage due to their tunable pore structures and specific surface area, excellent conductivity, and chemical stability. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in the structural engineering of porous carbons and hard carbons, with a focus on how structural features, such as pore size, pore connectivity, particle morphology influence ion transport, charge storage behavior, and cycling stability. The synthesis strategies enabling precise control over these structures are systematically discussed. Focusing on four existing and emerging energy storage and conversion systems: supercapacitors, lithium–sulfur batteries, sodium-ion batteries, and silicon carbon anodes for lithium-ion batteries, we summarize the latest advancements and elucidate the distinct structural requirements for functional carbon materials in each application. Through unraveling the structure-performance relationships across different applications, this review highlights how tailored functional carbon material designs can address the specific challenges. Finally, we outline key challenges and future perspectives, including the need for scalable and sustainable synthesis methods and integrated design strategies that align functional carbon structures with the demands of practical energy storage and conversion applications.