Defect engineering of electrode materials towards superior reaction kinetics for high-performance supercapacitors

Abstract

The development of high-performance supercapacitors (SCs) highly depends on the advanced electrode materials, but they are plagued by the sluggish reaction kinetics. With the progress of advanced technologies and deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms governing electrode reactions, introduction of defects in electrode materials can effectively optimize the intrinsic properties to boost reaction kinetics, thus achieving the excellent electrochemical performances of SCs. Herein, a comprehensive overview of recent progress and achievements in defect engineering of electrode materials towards superior reaction kinetics for SCs will be presented in this review. The types of defects and strategies for engineering defects, as well as advanced characterization techniques to identify various defects, are systematically summarized. In addition, the specific roles of defects in promoting reaction kinetics to enhance electrochemical performances are proposed in detail. Finally, the existing challenges and opportunities regarding defect engineering in electrode materials are prospected to emphasize the development directions of this research field, which aims to provide support for the effective utilization of defects, especially in regards to high-performance SC electrode materials.