transportation, limiting the rate capability and power density of LIBs and SIBs. In addition, due to the larger size of Na + than Li + , the challenges of SIBs are more signifi cant, including poor cycling stability, low columbic effi ciency, and insuffi cient power capability. On these regards, surface engineering is an essential research issue. From 1990s, considerable efforts have been devoted to the nanosynthesis of electrode materials, boosting the fast development of new electrode materials for high-performance electrochemical energy storage (EES) devices. [4][5][6] An electrode with surface engineered nanostructure can render benefi ts to its electrochemical properties, including (i) abundant active sites and electrode/electrolyte contact area, (ii) enhanced electrical conductivity and charge collection effi ciency, (iii) shortened ion diffusion paths and higher ionic conductivity, (iv) better mechanical alleviation for insertion/de-insertion strain. [ 7 ] However, nanoscaling is a "double-edged sword"; It cannot fulfi ll all the rigorous requirements of LIBs and SIBs. Parasitic reactions may occur on the exposed surfaces of electrode materials, such as the solubility of intermediated products, the formation of unstable solid electrolyte interface (SEI) fi lms, and the decomposition of electrolyte. These will lead to deformation of electrode structure and subsequently the capacity decay upon long cycles. To tackle these issues, a rational design of nanostructures and surface engineering are in the ascendant. [ 8,9 ] In view of the growing number of surface engineering strategies that have employed successfully for electrodes of various types of energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, photoelectrochemical cells, and supercapacitors), in this report, we will highlight the recent progress specifi cally in LIBs and SIBs. We start with a general summary of nanostructured electrode confi gurations and surface coating methods, and then elaborate the basic effects of nanoscale size, pore, and morphology. Our main discussion will be put on the effects of surface engineering on suppressing secondary reaction and SEI fi lm, buffering for volume expansion, electrical and ionic conductivity enhancement for LIBs and SIBs. At the end, we will provide an overall conclusion and our own perspective.
A General Summary of Surface Engineering StrategiesGenerally, the concept of surface engineering can be classifi ed into two main categories (see Figure 1 ): (i) intrinsic nanostructures with high surface areas and (ii) hybridization with Surface engineering of electrode materials to yield favorable electrochemical performance is a hot spot of current research in the energy storage area. Here, this Report highlights recent progress in rational surface engineering strategies in association with their effects on the electrochemical properties. The electrochemical performance enhancement due to both intrinsic nanostructuring and hybridization with surface functional species is elaborated. The focus here is lithium and sodium ion b...