Flower-like carbon and their composites for electrochemical energy storage and conversion

The inspiration for the preparation of flower-like carbon materials comes from the shape of flowers, based on biomimicry. They have been used extensively in the field of energy storage and conversion. Unlike other morphologies such as spherical carbon, flower-like carbon materials are characterized by surfaces filled with large pores and channels formed by stacked lamellar structures. These open spaces not only provide a larger specific surface area but also offer support and anchoring for the doping and compositing of materials. Compared to hollow structures, the exposure of these active sites is significantly increased. The stacked lamellar structure also facilitates the dispersion and protection of catalysts, providing an effective solution to the expansion and aggregation of active materials in the field of energy storage and conversion. This paper critically summarizes the synthesis methods of flower-like carbon and its composite materials. While hydrothermal synthesis offers mild conditions, limited reactant choices, and insufficient understanding of reaction mechanisms constrain product structure and performance. Hard template methods enable precise control over material morphology but incur higher costs and lower environmental benefits. Soft template and self-assembly methods simplify ordered flower-like structure synthesis, yet require strict conditions and control. Applications of flower-like carbon materials are still a long way to go for industrialization. Challenges remain in precisely controlling the morphology of flower-like carbon materials while balancing environmental and economic benefits. More research is needed to maximize the benefits of flower-shaped carbon materials in composite synthesis, including understanding how to combine them with other substances effectively. •Flower-like carbon is a material built on the basis of biomimicry.•Flower-like carbon has obvious advantages over spherical and hollow carbon.•Flower-like carbon has unique benefits for the construction of composites.•Flower-like carbon composites are widely used in energy storage and conversion.•Precise control of flower-like carbon composites is the future trend.