In this review we have summarized some recent results mainly reported by our group that focused on the development of smart gating nanochannels based on polymer films. These nanochannels were prepared using a track-etch process. The responsive materials/molecules and modification methods/techniques have also been demonstrated, from which we have obtained a series of smart gating nanochannels that can respond to single/dual external stimuli, e.g., pH, ion, temperature, light, and so on. These studies utilize responsive behaviors to regulate ionic transport properties inside a single nanochannel and demonstrate the fea-sibility of designing other smart nanodevices in the future.
There are growing demands for the next generation lithium ion batteries with high energy density as well as high power performance for renewable energy storage and electric vehicles application.Recently,nanoscale materials with outstanding energy storage capability have received considerable attention due to their unique effect caused by the reduced dimensions.This review describes some recent developments of our group in research of transition metal nitride nanocomposites in application of energy storage,especially for lithium ion battery and supercapacitor.The strategies of mixed conduction(electron and ion) network with a favorable charge transportation interface in the design of the nanocomposites for such devices are highlighted.
