Biomass‐Derived Carbon Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage: Uncertain Functionalities, Stability and Trade‐offs With Heteroatom Doping

Biomass‐derived carbon materials have emerged as sustainable and tunable materials for electrochemical energy storage, yet their performance is strongly influenced by uncertain structure–function relationships and the complex role of heteroatom doping. Although heteroatoms such as N, S, P, and B can enhance conductivity, surface polarity, active sites, and ion transport, their exact contributions often remain ambiguous due to overlapping functionalities, unstable bonding configurations, and variations in biomass precursors. Moreover, multi‐element doping introduces trade‐offs between improved electrochemical activity and reduced long‐term stability arising from structural distortion, active site degradation, and dopant migration during cycling. This review examines the existing knowledge regarding these uncertainties and assesses the stability issues related to heteroatom‐doped biomass carbons. The use of biomass‐derived materials doped with heteroatoms in electrochemical energy storage has been extensively studied, especially concerning supercapacitors, lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs), sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs), and lithium‐sulfur batteries (LSBs). Authors have discussed inherent trade‐offs in the performance and stability of heteroatom‐doped biomass‐derived carbons. An examination of controlled doping architecture was performed to enhance the trade‐offs. A review of possible obstacles and future outlooks is provided. The article provides a strong and definitive resolution in its conclusion.