Bioresource Polymer Composite for Energy Generation and Storage: Developments and Trends

Abstract

The ever‐growing demand of human society for clean and reliable energy sources spurred a substantial academic interest in exploring the potential of biological resources for developing energy generation and storage systems. As a result, alternative energy sources are needed in populous developing countries to compensate for energy deficits in an environmentally sustainable manner. This review aims to evaluate and summarize the recent progress in bio‐based polymer composites (PCs) for energy generation and storage. The articulated review provides an overview of energy storage systems, e. g., supercapacitors and batteries, and discusses the future possibilities of various solar cells (SCs), using both past research progress and possible future developments as a basis for discussion. These studies examine systematic and sequential advances in different generations of SCs. Developing novel PCs that are efficient, stable, and cost‐effective is of utmost importance. In addition, the current state of high‐performance equipment for each of the technologies is evaluated in detail. We also discuss the prospects, future trends, and opportunities regarding using bioresources for energy generation and storage, as well as the development of low‐cost and efficient PCs for SCs.

Algae-Based Biopolymers for Batteries and Biofuel Applications in Comparison with Bacterial Biopolymers—A Review

“…Similar to algal biopolymers, many bacterial biopolymers can be used for batteries. Bacterial cellulose can be carbonized to form nano-carbon, with a very high specific surface area and used as a binder or an electrode, or it can be used without carbonization as an encapsulation material in lithium–sulfur batteries [ 147 , 148 ]. Another bacterial biopolymer that can be used as a binder is xanthan gum, derived from Xanthomonas campestris , which is water-soluble and has a high molecular weight, which was found to provide good capacity retention [ 149 ].…”

Recent advances in energy storage with graphene oxide for supercapacitor technology

“…This quest has opened up avenues for exploring the potential of graphene oxide in SC technology, revolutionizing the way we store and utilize electrical energy. 15–19 One of the primary advantages of graphene oxide-based SCs lies in their high specific capacitance. Specific capacitance refers to the amount of charge a SC can store per unit mass or unit surface area.…”