Biomass-Derived Flexible Carbon Architectures as Self-Supporting Electrodes for Energy Storage

With the swift advancement of the wearable electronic devices industry, the energy storage components of these devices must possess the capability to maintain stable mechanical and chemical properties after undergoing multiple bending or tensile deformations. This circumstance has expedited research efforts toward novel electrode materials for flexible energy storage devices. Nonetheless, among the numerous materials investigated to date, the incorporation of metal current collectors or insulative adhesives remains requisite, which entails additional costs, unnecessary weight, and high contact resistance. At present, biomass-derived flexible architectures stand out as a promising choice in electrochemical energy device applications. Flexible self-supporting properties impart a heightened mechanical performance, obviating the need for additional binders and lowering the contact resistance. Renewable, earth-abundant biomass endows these materials with cost-effectiveness, diversity, and modulable chemical properties. To fully exploit the application potential in biomass-derived flexible carbon architectures, understanding the latest advancements and the comprehensive foundation behind their synthesis assumes significance. This review delves into the comprehensive analysis of biomass feedstocks and methods employed in the synthesis of flexible self-supporting carbon electrodes. Subsequently, the advancements in their application in energy storage devices are elucidated. Finally, an outlook on the potential of flexible carbon architectures and the challenges they face is provided.