Plant- and fungi-inspired hierarchical structures as electrode materials: a review

Abstract

Nature is continuously inspiring human beings to develop and elaborate numerous strategies and achieve optimal structural applications. In energy storage devices, the nature-inspired electrode materials might exhibit superior surface area, enhanced capacity, and excellent stability. A comprehensive review of exemplar natural materials, particularly plant- and fungi-mimic structures, has been provided here, with a focus on their recent advances and application as electrode materials. A number of nature-inspired hierarchical one-dimensional (1D), two-dimensional (2D), and three-dimensional (3D nanostructures such as tree-, leaf-, grass-, moss-, flower-, fruit-, vegetable-, and fungi-like nanostructures have been summarized as supercapacitor electrode materials. Future aspects and suggestions have been elaborated. Overall, this review will help researchers to accommodate not only plant- and fungi-inspired nanostructures but also other nature-inspired nanostructures in industrializing energy storage and many other applications.