ABSTRACT
In recent years, research and development on energy storage and conversion technologies have been attracting much attention due to their emerging applications such as portable electronic devices, electric vehicles (EVs) and in heavy electric vehicles (HEVs). The feasibility of the energy storage and/or conversion technology in different applications depends on the performance factors such as high fuel conversion efficiency, durability, life time, power density, energy density and environmental compatibility, etc, Among the conversion techniques, fuel cell is the most promising because of its durability and the fuel conversion efficiency. On the other hand, the electrochemical storage devices such as Li-ion batteries, Na-ion batteries, and supercapacitors have been playing a pivotal role in the modern portable technologies. These devices’ performances have been determined mainly by the electrode materials which play a key role in the aforesaid systems. In general, electrode materials used in these systems are categorised as different types, namely, carbonaceous materials (graphene, hard carbon, porous carbon etc), transition metal oxides (MnO2, V2O5 etc), conducting polymers (polyaniline, polypyrole, etc), metal oxide-carbon composites, etc. Among them, various carbon-based materials such as activated carbons, carbon aerogels, graphites, carbon nanotubes, carbon nano-fibers, and nano sized carbons have been investigated and used as potential electrode materials in different electrochemical power sources. Interest in carbon based materials has increased due to their favourable properties such as non-toxic, high chemical stability, and wide temperature range, high porosity and high surface area towards good device performances. Hence, in the recent past, it has highly motivated the development of novel nanostructured carbonaceous materials for further improving the performances of electrochemical power sources. However, reports on collective information on such electrode materials are scarce. As a result, in this book chapter, we are encouraged to provide the features of the carbon based nanostructured composites in different energy storage and conversion applications particularly in Li, Na-ion battery, supercapacitors and in Fuel cells.
