Page 300 - Polymer-based Nanocomposites for Energy and Environmental Applications

Polymer nanocomposite materials in energy storage: Properties and applications 269

9.4 Conclusions and future perspectives

In this review, an attempt has been made to summarize the latest advances in the poly-
mer nanocomposite-based material development for the EESSs, such as secondary
lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. The polymer nanocomposite electrodes
and electrolyte in Li-ion batteries and electrode in supercapacitors are key to realize
the dream of all plastic, flexible, wearable electric energy storage devices. Tremen-
dous amount of research efforts has been invested to develop all-solid, flexible energy
storage device for portable devices. Application of latest nanomaterials such as CNT,
graphene, metal organic frameworks, and mesoporous carbon has immensely contrib-
uted to the development of the materials. However, these materials also bring issues
related to production at commercial level, environmental issues, and cost. Polymer
nanocomposite consists of a polymer backbone matrix and an inorganic filler such
as nanomaterials. They show excellent properties that are not present in either moiety
due to synergic interaction between the components. These polymer nanocomposites
show high electric conductivity and flexibility of the polymers and good stability and
dielectric properties of the fillers. But to optimize the desired properties in a polymer
nanocomposite still needs lots of theoretical and experimental research work to estab-
lish structure properties relation and to design materials with unique set of properties.
Moreover, more work is still required in the synthetic chemistry to synthesis polymers
and polymer nanocomposite with controlled structure. Therefore, fabrication of
binary and ternary polymer nanocomposite with desired properties is the key in the
development of high energy density and high power output materials for super-
capacitors and lithium-ion batteries with long-term cyclic stability in realizing the
dream of replacing the fossil fuels for the betterment of the environment and to secure
the energy for future.

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