Atomic Layer Deposition—A Versatile Toolbox for Designing/Engineering Electrodes for Advanced Supercapacitors

Abstract

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) has become the most widely used thin-film deposition technique in various fields due to its unique advantages, such as self-terminating growth, precise thickness control, and excellent deposition quality. In the energy storage domain, ALD has shown great potential for supercapacitors (SCs) by enabling the construction and surface engineering of novel electrode materials. This review aims to present a comprehensive outlook on the development, achievements, and design of advanced electrodes involving the application of ALD for realizing high-performance SCs to date, as organized in several sections of this paper. Specifically, this review focuses on understanding the influence of ALD parameters on the electrochemical performance and discusses the ALD of nanostructured electrochemically active electrode materials on various templates for SCs. It examines the influence of ALD parameters on electrochemical performance and highlights ALD's role in passivating electrodes and creating 3D nanoarchitectures. The relationship between synthesis procedures and SC properties is analyzed to guide future research in preparing materials for various applications. Finally, it is concluded by suggesting the directions and scope of future research and development to further leverage the unique advantages of ALD for fabricating new materials and harness the unexplored opportunities in the fabrication of advanced-generation SCs.