Nanoengineering Carbon Spheres as Nanoreactors for Sustainable Energy Applications

Colloidal carbon sphere nanoreactors have been explored extensively as

a class of versatile materials for various applications in energy storage,

electrochemical conversion, and catalysis, due to their unique properties

such as excellent electrical conductivity, high specific surface area, controlled

porosity and permeability, and surface functionality. Here, the latest updated

research on colloidal carbon sphere nanoreactor, in terms of both their

synthesis and applications, is summarized. Various synthetic strategies are

first discussed, including the hard template method, the soft template method,

hydrothermal carbonization, the microemulsion polymerization method, and

extension of the Stöber method. Then, the functionalization of colloidal carbon

sphere nanoreactors, including the nanoengineering of compositions and

the surface features, is discussed. Afterward, recent progress in the major

applications of colloidal carbon sphere nanoreactors, in the areas of energy

storage, electrochemical conversion, and catalysis, is presented. Finally, the

perspectives and challenges for future developments are discussed in terms

of controlled synthesis and functionalization of the colloidal carbon sphere

nanoreactors with tunable structure, and the composition and properties that

are desirable for practical applications.