A critical review on nanostructure-doped carbonized biomass: A new Era in sustainable supercapacitor technology

The expansion of global population and industrialization has resulted in an increasing demand for energy in various sectors including petrochemicals, energy storage, pharmaceuticals, and electronics and electricals leads to several challenges such as environmental degradation, conventional resource depletion, and energy insecurity. As a result, for balancing daily energy needs efficient and sustainable energy storage solutions, such as supercapacitors are required that provide rapid energy storage and release, along with long cycle life and minimal environmental impact. While existing literature primarily discusses conventional materials for energy storage which lacks comprehensive analysis of fabrication strategies and morphological structures of biomass-based electrodes. Therefore, the present review comprehensively highlights the substantial potential of carbonized biomass precursors as a sustainable alternative. Several fabrication strategies for carbonized biomass concerning various morphological dimensions such as zero dimensional (0-D), one dimensional (1-D), two dimensional (2-D), and three dimensional (3-D) are comprehensively explored for enhanced electrode performance, along with recent advancements in biomass conversion and activation techniques. In addition, the influence of nanostructure-based dopants on the performance of biomass-derived carbon electrodes, especially focusing on the charge transfer efficiency, cycling stability, and energy storage capacity is thoroughly discussed. Furthermore, the review addresses current challenges and future directions for synthesizing nanostructure-doped carbonized biomass materials for large-scale supercapacitor applications. Thus, this review offers a valuable source for researchers and industries seeking to innovate in sustainable energy storage solutions by bridging the existing knowledge gaps.