Amorphous MOFs for next generation supercapacitors and batteries

Abstract

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous materials comprised of metal nodes and organic linkers, which feature highly tunable structures and compositions that can be tailored for energy storage applications. While MOFs research in this area has predominantly focused on the crystalline domain, amorphous MOFs have also attracted increasing interests. Amorphpus MOFs, which lack any long-range periodic order in the framework, exhibit several properties that are beneficial for energy storage such as isotropic conduction, higher ionic and electrical conductivity, increased defect sites and enhanced electrochemical stability. This perspective aims to highlight the recent developments in amorphous MOFs including amorphous discrete powder, glassy and composite forms for batteries and supercapacitors. Additionally, we will also provide prospective areas for the future development of amorphous MOFs in this field.