Nanowires in Energy Storage Devices: Structures, Synthesis, and Applications

Accompanied by the development and utilization of renewable energy sources, efficient energy storage has become a key topic. Electrochemical energy storage devices are considered to be one of the most practical energy storage devices capable of converting and storing electrical energy generated by renewable resources, which are also used as the power source of electric vehicles and portable electronic devices. The ultimate goals of electrochemical energy storage devices are long lifespan, high safety, high power, and high energy density. To achieve the above goals, researchers have attempted to use various nanomaterials to improve electrochemical performance. Among these, 1D materials play a critical role. This review classifies nanowires according to morphologies (simple nanowires, core–shell/coated nanowires, hierarchical/heterostructured nanowires, porous/mesoporous nanowires, hollow structures) and combined forms (nanowire arrays, nanowire networks, nanowire bundles) and introduces their characteristics and corresponding synthetic methods. The characteristics and advantages of nanowires in lithium‐ion, sodium‐ion and zinc‐ion batteries, and supercapacitors, along with in situ characterization of nanowire electrode are reflected in the application examples. In the summary and outlook section, some comments are presented to provide directions for further exploring nanowire based electrochemical energy storage in the future. Nanowires possess the advantages of 1D nanoarchitecture and various combinations to further enhance the performance of electrochemical energy storage devices. The current status of nanowires, including methods for controllable synthesis, and their significant applications in lithium‐ion, sodium‐ion and zinc‐ion batteries, and supercapacitors, is presented. Meanwhile, in situ characterization of nanowire electrodes is also mentioned as an efficient approach.