Biopolymer-based composites for sustainable energy storage: recent developments and future outlook

Abstract

Over the past decade, biopolymers made from renewable resources like plants, algae, seashell waste, and seaweed have become increasingly popular as industries strive to reduce their environmental pollution without compromising socioeconomic growth. Biopolymers are often regarded as a significant alternative to conventional materials due to their low weight, great strength, stiffness, biostability, and non-toxicity. Therefore, industries are beginning to adopt the use of biopolymers, including those dealing with packaging, agriculture, automobiles, healthcare, as well as energy harvesting. Supercapacitors and batteries are two examples of electrochemical devices for energy storage that can be made using bespoke biopolymers and their composites. Although biopolymers’ potential uses are restricted, they are nevertheless useful when combined with other materials to create composites. This boosts the electrochemical efficiency of the biologically active molecules and also enhances their inherent physical features. This review focuses on recent developments, specifically the use of diverse biopolymers and composites for batteries and supercapacitor applications, followed by future perspectives.