Microwave-Assisted Modification of Graphene and Its Derivatives: Synthesis, Reduction and Exfoliation

Advances in Microwave Synthesis of Nanoporous Materials

Usually, porous materials are synthesized by using conventional electric heating, which can be energy- and time-consuming. Microwave heating is commonly used in many households to quickly heat food. Microwave ovens can also be used as powerful devices in the synthesis of various porous materials. The microwave-assisted synthesis offers a simple, fast, efficient, and economic way to obtain many of the advanced nanomaterials. This review summarizes the recent achievements in the microwave-assisted synthesis of diverse groups of nanoporous materials including silicas, carbons, metal-organic frameworks, and metal oxides. Microwave-assisted methods afford highly porous materials with high specific surface areas (SSAs), e.g., activated carbons with SSA ≈3100 m² g^-1 , metal-organic frameworks with SSA ≈4200 m² g^-1 , covalent organic frameworks with SSA ≈2900 m² g^-1 , and metal oxides with relatively small SSA ≈300 m² g^-1 . These methods are also successfully implemented for the preparation of ordered mesoporous silicas and carbons as well as spherically shaped nanomaterials. Most of the nanoporous materials obtained under microwave irradiation show potential applications in gas adsorption, water treatment, catalysis, energy storage, and drug delivery, among others.

A review of the microwave-assisted synthesis of carbon nanomaterials, metal oxides/hydroxides and their composites for energy storage applications

Currently, nanomaterials are considered to be the backbone of modern civilization. Especially in the energy sector, nanomaterials (mainly, carbon- and metal oxide/hydroxide-based nanomaterials) have contributed significantly. Among the various green approaches for the synthesis of these nanomaterials, the microwave-assisted approach has attracted significant research interest worldwide. In this context, it is noteworthy to mention that because of their enhanced surface area, high conducting nature, and excellent electrical and electrochemical properties, carbon nanomaterials are being extensively utilized as efficient electrode materials for both supercapacitors and secondary batteries. In this review article, we briefly demonstrate the characteristics of microwave-synthesized nanomaterials for next-generation energy storage devices. Starting with the basics of microwave heating, herein, we illustrate the past and present status of microwave chemistry for energy-related applications, and finally present a brief outlook and concluding remarks. We hope that this review article will positively convey new insights for the microwave synthesis of nanomaterials for energy storage applications.