Ionic liquids for electrochemical energy storage devices applications

Ionic liquids, defined here as room-temperature molten salts, composed mainly of organic cations and (in)organic anions ions that may undergo almost unlimited structural variations with melting points below 100 degrees C. They offer a unique series of physical and chemical properties that make them extreme important candidates for several energy applications, especially for clean and sustainable energy storage and conversion materials and devices. Ionic liquids exhibit high thermal and electrochemical stability coupled with low volatility, create the possibility of designing appropriate electrolytes for different type batteries and supercapacitors. Herein, varieties of ionic liquids applications are reviewed on their utilization as electrolytes for Li-ion batteries, Na-ion batteries, Li-O-2(air) batteries, Li-Sulfur (Li-S) batteries, supercapacitors and as precursors to prepare and modify the electrode materials, meanwhile, some important research results in recent years are specially introduced, and the perspective on novel application of ionic liquids is also discussed. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science & Technology.