Nanostructured hexaazatrinaphthalene based polymers for advanced energy conversion and storage

Abstract N-doped carbon synthesis via commonly used high-temperature treatment often leads to the random distribution of nitrogen (N) atoms, which sets a barrier for both the mechanism study and controllable synthesis of high-performance electrode materials. As the alternatives, hexaazatrinaphthalene (HAT)-based polymers (HATPs) have aroused great attention for a variety of energy-related photo-/electrochemical applications due to their well-defined structure, precisely controllable components as well as excellent flexibility. Recently, tremendous progress has been achieved in the development of low-cost, efficient HATPs catalysts/electrodes for renewable energy technologies and beyond. In this article, we first introduce the structural features of HATPs and discuss the synthetic strategies to construct HATPs with specific functionalities. Then, we narrate the most adopted ex/in situ characterization techniques on HATPs’ physical/chemical analysis, emphasizing the importance of using in-situ characterizations to reveal the interaction between the intermediates and the active sites. Furthermore, the recent development of HATPs is summarized based on two aspects, i.e., energy conversion reactions and energy storage devices. Finally, the critical issues, challenges and perspectives in the emerging field are also presented.