Interlayer engineering of layered double hydroxides for advanced energy storage and conversion

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are very attractive functional materials either for energy storage due to the high theoretical capacities or for energy conversion due to the abundant and tunable active sites. Many strategies have been developed to improve the energy storage and conversion performance such as morphology and composition regulation, defect engineering and interlayer engineering. We focus on the interlayer engineering of LDHs for advanced energy applications. Anion intercalation into the galleries of brucite-like layers can expand the interlayer distance to enhance mass/charge transfer and active sites exposure; exfoliation-reassembly with conductive materials can increase the electron transfer capability and the ratio of active sites, thus efficiently boosting their performances in energy applications. In this Review, the progress on interlayer engineering of LDHs via anion intercalation and exfoliation-reassembly as well as the improved energy storage and conversion performances are summarized. We also outline how interlayer engineering tunes the performances of LDHs, and discuss the key challenges and future directions. This Review sheds light on the exploration of advanced LDHs materials for energy storage and conversion, especially in supercapacitors and oxygen evolution electrocatalysis.