Polyphenol-Derived Carbonaceous Frameworks with Multiscale Porosity for High-Power Electrochemical Applications

Abstract

With the escalating global demand for electric vehicles and sustainable energy solutions, increasing focus is placed on developing electrochemical systems that offer fast charging and high-power output, primarily governed by mass transport. Accordingly, porous carbons have emerged as highly promising electrochemically active or supporting materials due to expansive surface areas, tunable pore structures, and superior electrical conductivity, accelerating surface reaction. Yet, while substantial research has been devoted to crafting various porous carbons to increase specific surface areas, the optimal utilization of the surfaces remains underexplored. This review emphasizes the critical role of the fluid dynamics within multiscale porous carbonaceous electrodes, leading to substantially enhanced pore utilization in electrochemical systems. It elaborates on strategies of using sacrificial templates for incorporating meso/macropores into microporous carbon matrix, while exploiting the unique properties of polyphenol moieties such as sustainable carbons derived from biomass, inherent adhesive/cohesive interactions with template materials, and facile complexation capabilities with diverse materials, thereby enabling adaptive structural modulations. Furthermore, it explores how multiscale pore configurations influence pore-utilization efficiency, demonstrating advantages of incorporating multiscale pores. Finally, synergistic impact on the high-power electrochemical systems is examined, attributed to improved fluid-dynamic behavior within the carbonaceous frameworks, providing insights for advancing next-generation high-power electrochemical applications.