Interfacial Assembly of Functional Mesoporous Carbon-Based Materials into Films for Batteries and Electrocatalysis

The rapid increase in energy demands and environmental issues have attracted tremendous attention in the development of new functional materials for sustainable energy technology. As an emerging materials class, mesoporous carbon-based films show unique properties, and have been regarded as a promising candidate in efficient energy storage and conversion applications. Interfacial assembly strategies are usually employed to construct such films and devices. In this review, the recent development in the synthesis of mesoporous carbon-based films and devices is illustrated through interfacial assembly strategies. For mesoporous carbon-based materials, template methods and template-free methods are the two common approaches to obtain these unique structures. More specifically, five primary interfacial assembly methods for film preparation, including flow-directed assembly, solvent casting assembly, electrospinning assembly, substrate-based assembly, and evaporation-induced self-assembly, are also discussed with detailed synthesis processes and mechanisms. Besides, the applications of mesoporous carbon-based film devices for electrochemical energy systems including batteries and electrocatalysis are reviewed, as well as their mechanisms to enhance the performance of these systems. Finally, the remaining challenges and outlook are proposed to inspire future development and contribution of this field.