Toward materials-by-design: achieving functional materials with physical and chemical effects

Area of Science:

• Materials Science, Energy Storage, Inorganic Chemistry

Background:

• Optimized material performance is crucial for advancing renewable and sustainable energy technologies.
• Rational design and discovery of advanced materials involve prediction, synthesis, and characterization.
• Controlling material crystallization is essential for discovering novel functional inorganic materials across multiple scales.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review physical and chemical methods for shaping inorganic functional materials.
• To evaluate the applications of these shaped materials in sodium-air batteries, lithium-ion batteries, and supercapacitors.
• To provide insights into the synthesis-structure relationship of inorganic functional materials.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing physical fields and chemical effects to adjust material processing at various energy states.
• Employing multiple design methodologies to modify material microstructure, architecture, and functionality.
• Showcasing examples of shaping inorganic functional materials through physical and chemical approaches.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated control over material microstructure and architecture through tailored processing.
• Successfully applied shaped inorganic materials in energy storage devices like Na-air batteries, Li-ion batteries, and supercapacitors.
• Established a clearer understanding of how synthesis influences the structure and properties of functional inorganic materials.

Conclusions:

• The rational design and processing of inorganic functional materials are vital for next-generation energy technologies.
• Physical and chemical shaping methods offer powerful tools for optimizing material performance in energy storage.
• Understanding the synthesis-structure relationship is key to unlocking the full potential of these materials.