Diamond related materials for energy storage and conversion applications

Abstract

Diamond combines many unique properties, including high stability, strong optical dispersion, excellent mechanical strength, and outstanding thermal conductivity. Its structure, surface groups, and electrical conductivity are also tunable, increasing its functional versatility. These make diamond and its related materials, such as its composites, highly promising for various applications in energy fields. This review summarizes recent advances and key achievements in energy storage and conversion, covering electrochemical energy storage (e.g., batteries and supercapacitors), electrocatalytic energy conversion (e.g., CO2 and nitrogen reduction reactions), and solar energy conversion (e.g., photo-(electro)chemical CO2 and nitrogen reduction reactions, and solar cells). Current challenges and prospects related to the synthesis of diamond materials and the technologies for their energy applications are outlined and discussed.