Rational Design of Wood‐Structured Thick Electrode for Electrochemical Energy Storage

Abstract It is a natural choice to realize the vision of wood‐inspired functional materials for energy engineering. Apart from being naturally abundant, renewable, and biodegradable, wood‐based devices possess hierarchically porous structures, mechanical integrity and flexibility, and tunable functionalities, holding the potential to significantly push the boundaries of efficient energy storage and conversion. Meanwhile, the hunting of batteries with superior energy/power output to redeem the ever‐growing energy demand has ignited a thick electrode conception, which is deemed as a burgeoning technic to maneuver the maximum active material loading at the device‐scale. As an integrated carbonaceous scaffold with hierarchical architecture and aligned channels, wood thick electrode ameliorates the ion/electron conductivities to strengthen the charge transfer kinetics. In this review, the rational design and unique prospects in the construction of wood thick electrodes that concerns over structural optimization and low‐tortuosity for integrated cell configuration are summarized. To trap the structure‐feature‐performance interplays, advanced wood thick electrode that opens an avenue in emerging energy chemistries such as supercapacitors, lithium‐ion/metal and post‐rechargeable batteries are also spotlighted with a standpoint on task‐tailored modification. Ultimately, the blueprint over ongoing challenges and upcoming opportunities for wood‐structured thick electrode is drawn to broaden their brand‐new energy talents.