Silicon nanowires for advanced energy conversion and storage

Due to their unique structural, electrical, optical, and thermal properties, silicon nanowires (SiNWs) are attracting immense interest as a promising material for advanced energy conversion and storage applications. In this feature article, we review the recent achievements on SiNWs for advanced energy conversion and storage applications including photovoltaics, photocatalysis, thermoelectrics, lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. We also offer our prospective on the outstanding challenges in this emerging field. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.