Mesoporous Carbon Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion

Mesoporous carbon materials, characterised by pore diameters in the 2–50 nm range, combine exceptionally high specific surface areas with tunable pore architectures. Such features impart rapid ion transport, efficient mass diffusion and high active‐site accessibility, rendering these materials ideal for a broad spectrum of energy applications. Synthesis routes—ranging from soft and hard templating to mechanochemical and self‐assembly strategies—allow precise control over pore size, morphology and surface chemistry. One‐dimensional fibres, two‐dimensional sheets and hierarchically porous networks have been engineered to meet the demands of supercapacitors, lithium‐ and sodium‐ion batteries, fuel cells and electrochemical conversion systems. These materials also serve as robust supports for metal nanoparticles or heteroatom dopants, further enhancing electrocatalytic activity. Ongoing efforts seek to optimise sustainability through green precursors, solvent‐free processes and scalable fabrication, underscoring the global significance of mesoporous carbon platforms in the transition to low‐carbon energy technologies.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have developed a monomicelle-oriented self-assembly approach to fabricate one-dimensional mesoporous carbon nanofibres. By finely tuning the kinetics of polymeric micelle formation, researchers produced uniform fibres with diameters of ~65 nm, high aspect ratios and ordered 3D or 2D mesophases. These nanofibres, assembled into hierarchical cryogels, exhibit large surface areas (~450 m² g⁻¹) and open mesopores (~6 nm), delivering exceptional sodium-ion storage capacities and demonstrating potential in water purification.

A complementary mechanochemical assembly method has been introduced to yield ordered mesoporous carbon and nickel‐confined variants without the need for toxic solvents or multi‐step polymerisation. Through solid‐state coordination cross-linking between polyphenol–metal complexes and block copolymers, this route produces materials with tunable pore sizes (4–10 nm), pore volumes up to 0.96 cm³ g⁻¹ and surface areas exceeding 1,000 m² g⁻¹. Encapsulated nickel nanoparticles (~5 nm) within cylindrical channels demonstrate high thermal stability and catalyse the hydrogenation of bulky organic molecules with exceptional activity.

Mesoporous Carbon Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in mesoporous carbon materials for energy storage and conversion across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Mesopore: A pore with a diameter between 2 and 50 nanometres, facilitating rapid ion transport and high surface area.

Templating: A synthesis strategy using sacrificial scaffolds (soft or hard) to direct the formation of ordered pore structures.

Self-assembly: The spontaneous organisation of molecules into ordered structures via non-covalent interactions.

Mechanochemical assembly: A solvent-free process that employs mechanical force to induce chemical reactions and form porous frameworks.

Hierarchical porosity: A combination of pore sizes (micro-, meso- and macropores) within a single material, optimising accessibility and diffusion.

Micelle: An aggregate of amphiphilic molecules in solution that serves as a template for pore formation.

References

1. One-dimensionally oriented self-assembly of ordered mesoporous nanofibers featuring tailorable mesophases via kinetic control. Nature Communications (2023).
2. Solid-state synthesis of ordered mesoporous carbon catalysts via a mechanochemical assembly through coordination cross-linking. Nature Communications (2017).
3. End‐to‐End Pierced Carbon Nanosheets with Meso‐Holes. Advanced Science (2024).
4. Worm‐like ordered mesoporous carbon from liquefied wood: Morphological manipulation by varying hydrothermal temperature. Aggregate (2024).
5. Hierarchically structured porous materials: synthesis strategies and applications in energy storage. National Science Review (2020).