Recent progress in template-assisted synthesis of porous carbons for supercapacitors

Porous carbons (PCs) are one of the promising electrode materials for supercapacitors attributed to their low cost, superior electronic conductivity, easy availability, and tailored pore structures. Template methods have been explored as the effective strategies for the fabrication of PCs with desirable morphology and highly controllable pore size distribution. Herein, this review firstly focuses on design and synthetic mechanism of various PCs via hard templates, soft templates, and dual-templates. Secondly, an overview of PCs is presented with a detailed discussion of the structure-activity relationship between electrochemical performances and pore structures. Thirdly, the current challenges and prospects of template-assisted synthesis of PCs for supercapacitors are highlighted regarding further researches.