Nanowires: Synthesis and Energy/Environmental Applications

As the main inorganic component of human bones and teeth, hydroxyapatite (HAP) materials have been widely investigated for various applications especially in the biomedical field. Recently, HAP nanowires (HAP NWs) have attracted research interest in the energy and environment-related fields owing to their advantages such as excellent biocompatibility and bioactivity, high-thermal stability, surface modification and functionalization, and self-assembly to form nanoscale porous networked structure. In this review, we first briefly discuss the synthesis of HAP NWs. Then we focus on summarizing the foremost advances in energy and environment-related applications of HAP NWs, including the battery, solar energy-assisted water evaporation, light-driven self-propelled device, thermal insulation, fire-resistant inorganic paper, water purification, air purification, molecular detection, superhydrophobic surface, and high-strength nanocomposite materials. In addition, the future research directions on HAP NWs and their energy and environmental applications are proposed. This review aims to provide inspiration and stimulate extensive future studies in the energy and environmental applications of HAP NWs and other inorganic NWs.