Fungal-derived functional carbons for secondary batteries: from biomass architectures to electrochemical performance

Abstract

The growing demand for sustainable energy storage has intensified research into biomass-derived carbon materials. Fungal biomaterials provide a versatile carbon source owing to their hierarchical architectures and chitin-rich compositions. This review evaluates fungal sources based on their structural dimensionality, specifically 1D mycelia, 3D sporocarps, and 0D spores. The influence of these specific morphologies on electrochemical performance across battery components is elucidated in this work. Specifically, 1D mycelial structures form interconnected frameworks ideal for conductive anodes and separators. In contrast, 3D sporocarps provide structural integrity and porosity for robust electrodes, while 0D spores serve as templates for ion flux regulation. This approach reframes fungal materials as dimension-governed templates for designing functional carbon materials, establishing a systematic pathway from intrinsic morphology to device-relevant electrochemical performance.