Recent advancement and challenges in multifunctional carbon nanotube buckypaper and its composites for energy storage and conversion applications

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have emerged as strong contenders in the field of energy storage materials during this technology-driven era to lay down their unique features for human benefit. Nonetheless, CNTs do face challenges in harnessing their outstanding inherited properties due to their strong van der Waals interactions. Buckypaper, a typical scaffold of CNT, has shown significant promise in the energy transformation and has already been deployed in several applications. Its characteristic properties are controlled by several intrinsic and extrinsic factors such as degree of alignment, porosity, doping, etc. and a thorough discussion of these factors is crucial for the advancement and development of this material. This article is structured into three distinct sections: fabrication method, properties, and applications, each of these sections is further categorized based on the major controlling factors or elements. Moreover, this review presents a detailed analysis of the key parameters underlining buckypaper's performance in energy storage and conversion applications include batteries, supercapacitors, biofuel cells and thermoelectric generator. Consequently, it is a clear and attractive representation of the historical and current state of the art buckypaper as energy harvesting and transformation solutions. The present study offers fresh and innovative concepts for newcomers looking to venture into this evolving field, as well as for researchers engaged in pioneering applications utilizing CNT buckypaper and its composites across various domains. This is especially relevant in the context of energy storage and conversion applications.