Carbon nanomaterials, thanks to their excellent mechanical, electronic and transport properties, tuneable hierarchical porosity and high specific surface area, are very promising materials for energy storage applications, both in the field of electrochemical and solid state gas (hydrogen) storage. The research activity at the Nanocarbon Laboratory of the University of Parma proved that fullerene can behave as an active material in Mg- and Na-ion batteries, which are more sustainable than Li-ion technology. Moreover, composite materials based on fullerene and other ionic conductors may also constitute innovative solid electrolytes for future solid-state batteries. On the other hand, either Li or Na cluster intercalated fullerides have been identified as constituting a novel class of fully reversible solid state hydrogen absorbers, thanks to a complex chemisorption mechanism involving the hydrogen dissociation mediated by the metal cluster and the subsequent atomic H decoration of the fullerene molecule. Furthermore, the ability to produce graphene nanomaterials at large scale, by thermal exfoliation or by laser irradiation of suitable precursors, disclosed to many energy storage applications. Such materials are excellent conductive substrates for innovative Li-ion batteries electrodes (e.g. Li-S, Li-silicon), as well as a highly efficient porous electrodes in Li-ion hybrid capacitors. Laser induced graphene is also a promising, scalable and cost-effective way to directly write ready-to-use devices, i.e. in form of interdigitated micro-supercapacitors. Thanks to the strong presence of in-plane defects and edges, it is easy to decorate graphene with metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, thus further increasing the electrochemical performances of devices.The growing needs to promote sustainability and the circular economy have prompted us to look for similar properties also in carbon nanostructures derived from waste. We indeed found that superactivated biochar obtained by pyrolysis of organic waste, either of animal and vegetal origin, can provide excellent performance both as hydrogen adsorber, and as inexpensive ultracapacitor electrode, thanks to its optimised micro- and meso-pore distribution.
