CuO Nanoplates for High‐Performance Potassium‐Ion Batteries

Potassium‐ion batteries (KIBs) are promising alternatives to lithium‐ion batteries because of the abundance and low cost of K. However, an important challenge faced by KIBs is the search for high‐capacity materials that can hold large‐diameter K ions. Herein, copper oxide (CuO) nanoplates are synthesized as high‐performance anode materials for KIBs. CuO nanoplates with a thickness of ≈20 nm afford a large electrode–electrolyte contact interface and short K⁺ ion diffusion distance. As a consequence, a reversible capacity of 342.5 mAh g^?1 is delivered by the as‐prepared CuO nanoplate electrode at 0.2 A g^?1. Even after 100 cycles at a high current density of 1.0 A g^?1, the capacity of the electrode remains over 206 mAh g^?1, which is among the best values for KIB anodes reported in the literature. Moreover, a conversion reaction occurs at the CuO anode. Cu nanoparticles form during the first potassiation process and reoxidize to Cu₂O during the depotassiation process. Thereafter, the conversion reaction proceeds between the as‐formed Cu₂O and Cu, yielding a reversible theoretical capacity of 374 mAh g^?1. Considering their low cost, easy preparation, and environmental benignity, CuO nanoplates are promising KIB anode materials.     

In Situ Synthesis of CuO and Cu Nanostructures with Promising Electrochemical and Wettability Properties

A strategy is presented for the in situ synthesis of single crystalline CuO nanorods and 3D CuO nanostructures, ultra‐long Cu nanowires and Cu nanoparticles at relatively low temperature onto various substrates (Si, SiO₂, ITO, FTO, porous nickel, carbon cotton, etc.) by one‐step thermal heating of copper foam in static air and inert gas, respectively. The density, particle sizes and morphologies of the synthesized nanostructures can be effectively controlled by simply tailoring the experimental parameters. A compressive stress based and subsequent structural rearrangements mechanism is proposed to explain the formation of the nanostructures. The as‐prepared CuO nanostructures demonstrate promising electrochemical properties as the anode materials in lithium‐ion batteries and also reversible wettability. Moreover, this strategy can be used to conveniently integrate these nanostructures with other nanostructures (ZnO nanorods, Co₃O₄ nanowires and nanowalls, TiO₂ nanotubes, and Si nanowires) to achieve various hybrid hierarchical (CuO‐ZnO, CuO‐Co₃O₄, CuO‐TiO₂, CuO‐Si) nanocomposites with promising properties. This strategy has the potential to provide the nano society with a general way to achieve a variety of nanostructures.     

Synthesis and characterization of CuO nanoparticles using strong base electrolyte through electrochemical discharge process

In the present study, cupric oxide (CuO) nanoparticles were synthesized by electrochemical discharge process using strong base electrolytes. The experiments were carried out separately using NaOH and KOH electrolytes. The mass output rate and the crystal size were obtained with variation of the rotation speed of magnetic stirrer for both types of electrolytes. The mass output rate of CuO nanoparticles increased with the increase in the speed of rotation, and, after an optimum speed, it started decreasing. However, the size of the particles reduced with the increase of the rotation speed. The crystal plane of the obtained CuO nanoparticles was similar for both the electrolytes whereas the yield of nanoparticles was higher in KOH as compared with NaOH under the same experiment conditions. In this set of experiments, the maximum output rates obtained were 21.66 mg h^?1 for NaOH and 24.66 mg h^?1 for KOH at 200 rpm for a single discharge arrangement. The average crystal size of CuO particles obtained was in the range of 13–18 nm for KOH electrolyte and 15–20 nm for NaOH electrolyte. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that flower-like and caddice clew-shaped CuO nanocrystalline particles were synthesized by the electrochemical discharge process. Fourier transform infrared spectrum showed that the CuO nanoparticles have a pure and monolithic phase. UV–vis–NIR spectroscopy was used to monitor oxidation course of Cu → CuO and the band gap energy was measured as 2 and 2.6 eV for CuO nanoparticle synthesized in NaOH and KOH solutions, respectively.     

CuO Quantum Dots Embedded in Carbon Nanofibers as Binder‐Free Anode for Sodium Ion Batteries with Enhanced Properties

The design of sodium ion batteries is proposed based on the use of flexible membrane composed of ultrasmall transition metal oxides. In this paper, the preparation of CuO quantum dots (≈2 nm) delicately embedded in carbon nanofibers (denoted as 2‐CuO@C) with a thin film via a feasible electrospinning method is reported. The CuO content can be controlled by altering the synthetic conditions and is optimized to 54 wt%. As binder‐free anode for sodium ion batteries, 2‐CuO@C delivers an initial reversible capacity of 528 mA h g^?1 at the current density of 100 mA g^?1, an exceptional rate capability of 250 mA h g^?1 at 5000 mA g^?1, and an ultra‐stable capacity of 401 mA h g^?1 after 500 cycles at 500 mA g^?1. The enhancement of electrochemical performance is attributed to the unique structure of 2‐CuO@C, which offers a variety of advantages: highly conductive carbon matrix suppressing agglomeration of CuO grains, interconnected nanofibers ensuring short transport length for electrons, well‐dispersed CuO quantum dots leading to highly utilization rate, and good mechanical properties resulting in strong electrode integrity.     

A Single‐Step Hydrothermal Route to 3D Hierarchical Cu2O/CuO/rGO Nanosheets as High‐Performance Anode of Lithium‐Ion Batteries

As anodes of Li‐ion batteries, copper oxides (CuO) have a high theoretical specific capacity (674 mA h g^?1) but own poor cyclic stability owing to the large volume expansion and low conductivity in charges/discharges. Incorporating reduced graphene oxide (rGO) into CuO anodes with conventional methods fails to build robust interaction between rGO and CuO to efficiently improve the overall anode performance. Here, Cu₂O/CuO/reduced graphene oxides (Cu₂O/CuO/rGO) with a 3D hierarchical nanostructure are synthesized with a facile, single‐step hydrothermal method. The Cu₂O/CuO/rGO anode exhibits remarkable cyclic and high‐rate performances, and particularly the anode with 25 wt% rGO owns the best performance among all samples, delivering a record capacity of 550 mA h g^?1 at 0.5 C after 100 cycles. The pronounced performances are attributed to the highly efficient charge transfer in CuO nanosheets encapsulated in rGO network and the mitigated volume expansion of the anode owing to its robust 3D hierarchical nanostructure.     

Green synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles and its effective applications in Biginelli reaction,BTB photodegradation and antibacterial activity

Metal/metal oxide nanoparticles have gained much attention in the field of organic catalysis and photocatalysis reactions for development of greener methodology. In the present work, copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) were synthesized by a greener route using Cordia sebestena (C. sebestena) flower aqueous extract. The nanoparticles were evaluated for their catalytic efficiency. The green synthesized CuO NPs were characterized using various analytical studies. A UV–Visible spectrum with peak at 267?nm and the peaks in their FT-IR spectrum at 431 and 542?cm^?1 showed reduction by the plant metabolites. FESEM-EDX analysis of CuO NPs shows an agglomerated spherical shape with signatures of Cu and O and XRD reveals characteristic crystallinity. TEM and DLS analyses showed particle size between 20 and 35?nm and TEM-SAED pattern ensured crystallinity. A Zeta potential of ?26?mV demonstrates moderate stability. The CuO NPs acted as a catalyst in the Biginelli reaction to produce 3,4-dihydropyrimidinones rapidly and at high yield. The NPs also degraded bromothymol blue (BTB) by photocatalysis with hydrogen peroxide. 100% dye removal efficiency was achieved by 3?h exposure of BTB to natural sunlight inferring it as economy, ecofriendly and effective catalyst. This finding illustrates that the NPs could be used in photolysis to remove water pollutants. Moreover, the biological significance of green synthesized CuO NPs was assessed by antibacterial activity against selected pathogenic bacterial organisms.     

Bacterial cellulose membranes coated by polypyrrole/copper oxide as flexible supercapacitor electrodes

The developments of flexible supercapacitors are of great importance to the growing demand of portable electronic products. In the present work, we have successfully prepared bacterial cellulose (BC) membranes coated by polypyrrole (PPy) and copper oxide (CuO) as flexible composite electrodes for supercapacitor applications. The highest electrical conductivity value of 7.4 S cm^?1 was achieved using copper acetate aqueous solution with concentration of 1 wt%. Electrochemical measurements proved that the supercapacitors using the PPy/CuO/BC electrodes had a specific capacitance of 601 F g^?1 with an energy density of 48.2 Wh kg^?1 and a power density of 85.8 W kg^?1 at a current density of 0.8 mA cm^?2. The specific capacitance was kept at 385 F g^?1 after 300 cycles. The introduction of the CuO nanoparticles gave rise to the improved capacitance.     

Ultrahigh Rate Performance of Hollow Antimony Nanoparticles Impregnated in Open Carbon Boxes for Sodium‐Ion Battery under Elevated Temperature

Antimony is a competitive and promising anode material for sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) due to its high theoretical capacity. However, the poor rate capability and fast capacity fading greatly restrict its practical application. To address the above issues, a facile and eco‐friendly sacrificial template method is developed to synthesize hollow Sb nanoparticles impregnated in open carbon boxes (Sb HPs@OCB). The as‐obtained Sb HPs@OCB composite exhibits excellent sodium storage properties even when operated at an elevated temperature of 50 °C, delivering a robust rate capability of 345 mAh g^?1 at 16 A g^?1 and rendering an outstanding reversible capacity of 187 mAh g^?1 at a high rate of 10 A g^?1 after 300 cycles. Such superior electrochemical performance of the Sb HPs@OCB can be attributed to the comprehensive characteristics of improved kinetics derived from hollow Sb nanoparticles impregnated into 2D carbon nanowalls, the existence of robust Sb? O? C bond, and enhanced pseudocapacitive behavior. All those factors enable Sb HPs@OCB great potential and distinct merit for large‐scale energy storage of SIBs.     

The removal of phosphate from aqueous solutions using two nano-structures: copper oxide and carbon tubes

The removal of phosphate from water is vital in controlling eutrophication. Adsorption is one of the most popular technologies for removing phosphate. In this study, two types of nanoparticles (NPs), namely carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and copper oxide (CuO), were used and their phosphate removal potential was investigated. The physical and chemical properties of the two NPs were systematically studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FTIR, energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), and BET methods. The image analyses of SEM indicated that CuO NPs and CNTs were nano-structured aggregates with mean diameters of about 85.0 and 22.2 nm, respectively. The sorption kinetic data were better described by the pseudo-second-order equation indicating its chemisorption nature. The equilibrium sorption data were well fitted into the Freundlich model for CNTs but for CuO, sorption data were better fitted into Langmuir isotherm model. The phosphate sorption capacities without the presence of competing anions were 15.4 and 23.9 mg/g (PO₄ ^3?-P) for CNTs and CuO, respectively. Besides, the competing anions (Cl^?, NO₃ ^?, and humic acid) decreased the phosphate removal of CNTs and CuO. The negative values of the Gibbs’ free energy change (ΔG°) demonstrated the spontaneous nature of the sorption process in both sorbents, while the positive values of the enthalpy change (ΔH°) indicated that the sorption process was endothermic in nature. Overall, the results of this study suggest that CuO NPs and CNTs in a single solution have the potential to act as effective sorbents of phosphate under optimum conditions, respectively.     

Rational Construction of 3D‐Networked Carbon Nanowalls/Diamond Supporting CuO Architecture for High‐Performance Electrochemical Biosensors

Tremendous demands for highly sensitive and selective nonenzymatic electrochemical biosensors have motivated intensive research on advanced electrode materials with high electrocatalytic activity. Herein, the 3D‐networked CuO@carbon nanowalls/diamond (C/D) architecture is rationally designed, and it demonstrates wide linear range (0.5 × 10^?6–4 × 10^?3 m ), high sensitivity (1650 µA cm^?2 mm ^?1), and low detection limit (0.5 × 10^?6 m ), together with high selectivity, great long‐term stability, and good reproducibility in glucose determination. The outstanding performance of the CuO@C/D electrode can be ascribed to the synergistic effect coming from high‐electrocatalytic‐activity CuO nanoparticles and 3D‐networked conductive C/D film. The C/D film is composed of carbon nanowalls and diamond nanoplatelets; and owing to the large surface area, accessible open surfaces, and high electrical conduction, it works as an excellent transducer, greatly accelerating the mass‐ and charge‐transport kinetics of electrocatalytic reaction on the CuO biorecognition element. Besides, the vertical aligned diamond nanoplatelet scaffolds could improve structural and mechanical stability of the designed electrode in long‐term performance. The excellent CuO@C/D electrode promises potential application in practical glucose detection, and the strategy proposed here can also be extended to construct other biorecognition elements on the 3D‐networked conductive C/D transducer for various high‐performance nonenzymatic electrochemical biosensors.     

Suppressing Cation Migration and Reducing Particle Cracks in a Layered Fe‐Based Cathode for Advanced Sodium‐Ion Batteries

Sodium‐ion batteries have huge potential in large‐scale energy storage applications. Layered Fe‐based oxides are one of the desirable cathode materials due to abundance in the earth crust and high activity in electrochemical processes. However, Fe‐ion migration to Na layers is one of the major hurdles leading to irreversible structural degradation. Herein, it is revealed that distinct Fe‐ion migration in cycling NaFeO₂ (NFO) should be mainly responsible for the strong local lattice strain and resulting particle cracks, all of which results in the deterioration of electrochemical performance. More importantly, a strategy of Ru doping could effectively suppress the Fe‐ion migration and then reduce the local lattice strain and the particle cracks, finally to greatly enhance the sodium storage performance. Atomic‐scale characterization shows that NFO electrode after cycling presents the intense lattice strain locally, accompanied by the remarkable particle cracks. Whereas, Ru‐doped NFO electrode maintains the well‐ordered layered structure by inhibiting the Fe–O distortion, so as to eliminate the resulting side effect. As a result, Ru‐doped NFO could greatly improve the comprehensive electrochemical performance by delivering a reversible capacity of 120 mA h g^?1, about 80% capacity retention after 100 cycles. The findings provide new insights for designing high‐performance electrodes for sodium‐ion batteries.     

Fe2VO4 Hierarchical Porous Microparticles Prepared via a Facile Surface Solvation Treatment for High‐Performance Lithium and Sodium Storage

Preventing the aggregation of nanosized electrode materials is a key point to fully utilize the advantage of the high capacity. In this work, a facile and low‐cost surface solvation treatment is developed to synthesize Fe₂VO₄ hierarchical porous microparticles, which efficiently prevents the aggregation of the Fe₂VO₄ primary nanoparticles. The reaction between alcohol molecules and surface hydroxy groups is confirmed by density functional theory calculations and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The electrochemical mechanism of Fe₂VO₄ as lithium‐ion battery anode is characterized by in situ X‐ray diffraction for the first time. This electrode material is capable of delivering a high reversible discharge capacity of 799 mA h g^?1 at 0.5 A g^?1 with a high initial coulombic efficiency of 79%, and the capacity retention is 78% after 500 cycles. Moreover, a remarkable reversible discharge capacity of 679 mA h g^?1 is achieved at 5 A g^?1. Furthermore, when tested as sodium‐ion battery anode, a high reversible capacity of 382 mA h g^?1 can be delivered at the current density of 1 A g^?1, which still retains at 229 mA h g^?1 after 1000 cycles. The superior electrochemical performance makes it a potential anode material for high‐rate and long‐life lithium/sodium‐ion batteries.     

Composition and Architecture Design of Double‐Shelled Co0.85Se1−xSx@Carbon/Graphene Hollow Polyhedron with Superior Alkali (Li,Na, K)‐Ion Storage

The exploration of materials with reversible and stable electrochemical performance is crucial in energy storage, which can (de) intercalate all the alkali‐metal ions (Li⁺, Na⁺, and K⁺). Although transition‐metal chalcogenides are investigated continually, the design and controllable preparation of hierarchical nanostructure and subtle composite withstable properties are still great challenges. Herein, component‐optimal Co_0.85Se_1?xS_x nanoparticles are fabricated by in situ sulfidization of metal organic framework, which are wrapped by the S‐doped graphene, constructing a hollow polyhedron framework with double carbon shells (CoSSe@C/G). Benefiting from the synergistic effect of composition regulation and architecture design by S‐substitution, the electrochemical kinetic is enhanced by the boosted electrochemistry‐active sites, and the volume variation is mitigated by the designed structure, resulting in the advanced alkali‐ion storage performance. Thus, it delivers an outstanding reversible capacity of 636.2 mAh g^?1 at 2 A g^?1 after 1400 cycles for Li‐ion batteries. Remarkably, satisfactory initial charge capacities of 548.1 and 532.9 mAh g^?1 at 0.1 A g^?1 can be obtained for Na‐ion and K‐ion batteries, respectively. The prominent performance combined with the theory calculation confirms that the synergistic strategy can improve the alkali‐ion transportation and structure stability, providing an instructive guide for designing high‐performance anode materials for universal alkali‐ion storage.     

Preparation,characterization and catalytic behavior of copper oxide nanoparticles on thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate particles

In this study, copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) with mean particle size of 43–32?nm were prepared by wet grinding of commercial micronized CuO powders in a high-energy wet ball-milling apparatus during 20 and 30?h, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) analyses were used to characterize the structure, mean particle size and morphology of the resulting CuO NPs. The results confirmed that the CuO NPs obtained at different milling times consist of nanostructures with nearly spherical morphology and by increasing the milling time, smaller particle size was obtained. The catalytic activities of the synthesized CuO NPs on the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) particles were examined through differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry (DSC/TG) analyses. Evaluation of the experimental results illustrated that the surfaces of CuO NPs were effectively coated with AP particles and by adding 5%CuO NPs with 32?nm, the thermal decomposition temperature of the treated particles reduced by 83.0°C and the heat of decomposition reached 1553.7?Jg^?1. Moreover, the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of the thermal decomposition of pure and AP?+?5%CW30 nanocomposites have been investigated by using the Kissinger, Boswell and Ozawa methods.     

Co(OH)2 Nanoparticle‐Encapsulating Conductive Nanowires Array: Room‐Temperature Electrochemical Preparation for High‐Performance Water Oxidation Electrocatalysis

It is highly desired but still remains challenging to design and develop a Co‐based nanoparticle‐encapsulated conductive nanoarray at room temperature for high‐performance water oxidation electrocatalysis. Here, it is reported that room‐temperature anodization of a Co(TCNQ)₂ (TCNQ = tetracyanoquinodimethane) nanowire array on copper foam at alkaline pH leads to in situ electrochemcial oxidation of TCNQ^? into water‐insoluable TCNQ nanoarray embedding Co(OH)₂ nanoparticles. Such Co(OH)₂‐TCNQ/CF shows superior catalytic activity for water oxidation and demands only a low overpotential of 276 mV to drive a geometrical current density of 25 mA cm^?2 in 1.0 m KOH. Notably, it also demonstrates strong long‐term electrochemical durability with its activity being retrained for at least 25 h, a high turnover frequency of 0.97 s^?1 at an overpotential of 450 mV and 100% Faradic efficiency. This study provides an exciting new method for the rational design and development of a conductive TCNQ‐based nanoarray as an interesting 3D material for advanced electrochemical applications.     

Polypyrenes as High‐Performance Cathode Materials for Aluminum Batteries

The pressing need for low‐cost and large‐scale stationary storage of electricity has led to a new wave of research on novel batteries made entirely of components that have high natural abundances and are easy to manufacture. One example of such an anode–electrolyte–cathode architecture comprises metallic aluminum, AlCl₃:[EMIm]Cl (1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride) ionic liquid and graphite. Various forms of synthetic and natural graphite cathodes have been tested in recent years in this context. Here, a new type of compelling cathode based on inexpensive pyrene polymers is demonstrated. During charging, the condensed aromatic rings of these polymers are oxidized, which is accompanied by the uptake of aluminum tetrachloride anions (AlCl₄^?) from the chloroaluminate ionic liquid. Discharge is the fast inverse process of reduction and the release of AlCl₄^?. The electrochemical properties of the polypyrenes can be fine‐tuned by the appropriate chemical derivatization. This process is showcased here by poly(nitropyrene‐co‐pyrene), which has a storage capacity of 100 mAh g^?1, higher than the neat polypyrene (70 mAh g^?1) or crystalline pyrene (20 mAh g^?1), at a high discharge voltage (≈1.7 V), energy efficiency (≈86%), and cyclic stability (at least 1000 cycles).     

Achieving Insertion‐Like Capacity at Ultrahigh Rate via Tunable Surface Pseudocapacitance

The insertion/deinsertion mechanism enables plenty of charge‐storage sites in the bulk phase to be accessible to intercalated ions, giving rise to at least one more order of magnitude higher energy density than the adsorption/desorption mechanism. However, the sluggish ion diffusion in the bulk phase leads to several orders of magnitude slower charge‐transport kinetics. An ideal energy‐storage device should possess high power density and large energy density simultaneously. Herein, surface‐modified Fe₂O₃ quantum dots anchored on graphene nanosheets are developed and exhibit greatly enhanced pseudocapacitance via fast dual‐ion‐involved redox reactions with both large specific capacity and fast charge/discharge capability. By using an aqueous Na₂SO₃ electrolyte, the oxygen‐vacancy‐tuned Fe₂O₃ surface greatly enhances the absorption of SO₃^2? anions that majorly increase the surface pseudocapacitance. Significantly, the Fe₂O₃‐based electrode delivers a high specific capacity of 749 C g^?1 at 5 mV s^?1 and retains 290 C g^?1 at an ultrahigh scan rate of 3.2 V s^?1. With a novel dual‐electrolyte design, a 2 V Fe₂O₃/Na₂SO₃//MnO₂/Na₂SO₄ asymmetric supercapacitor is constructed, delivering a high energy density of 75 W h kg^?1 at a power density of 3125 W kg^?1.     

Effects of Ceria Nanoparticles and CeCl3 on Plant Growth,Biological and Physiological Parameters,and Nutritional Value of Soil Grown Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

The release of metal ions may play an important role in toxicity of metal‐based nanoparticles. In this report, a life cycle study is carried out in a greenhouse, to compare the effects of ceria nanoparticles (NPs) and Ce³⁺ ions at 0, 50, 100, and 200 mg Ce kg^?1 on plant growth, biological and physiological parameters, and nutritional value of soil‐grown common bean plants. Ceria NPs have a tendency to negatively affect photosynthesis, but the effect is not statistically significant. Ce³⁺ ionic treatments at 50, 100, and 200 mg Ce kg^?1 result in increases of 1.25‐, 0.66‐, and 1.20‐fold in stomatal conductance, respectively, relative to control plants. Both ceria NPs and Ce³⁺ ions disturb the homeostasis of antioxidant defense system in the plants, but only 200 mg Ce kg^?1 ceria NPs significantly induce lipid peroxidation in the roots. Ceria NP treatments tend to reduced fresh weight and to increase mineral contents of the green pods, but have no effect on the organic nutrient contents. On the contrary, Ce³⁺ ion treatments modify the organic compositions and thus alter the nutritional quality and flavor of the green pods. These results suggest that the two Ce forms may have different mechanisms on common bean plants.     

α‐Fe2O3 Nanoparticles Decorated C@MoS2 Nanosheet Arrays with Expanded Spacing of (002) Plane for Ultrafast and High Li/Na‐Ion Storage

MoS₂ nanosheets as a promising 2D nanomaterial have extensive applications in energy storage and conversion, but their electrochemical performance is still unsatisfactory as an anode for efficient Li⁺/Na⁺ storage. In this work, the design and synthesis of vertically grown MoS₂ nanosheet arrays, decorated with graphite carbon and Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles, on flexible carbon fiber cloth (denoted as Fe₂O₃@C@MoS₂/CFC) is reported. When evaluated as an anode for lithium‐ion batteries, the Fe₂O₃@C@MoS₂/CFC electrode manifests an outstanding electrochemical performance with a high discharge capacity of 1541.2 mAh g^?1 at 0.1 A g^?1 and a good capacity retention of 80.1% at 1.0 A g^?1 after 500 cycles. As for sodium‐ion batteries, it retains a high reversible capacity of 889.4 mAh g^?1 at 0.5 A g^?1 over 200 cycles. The superior electrochemical performance mainly results from the unique 3D ordered Fe₂O₃@C@MoS₂ array‐type nanostructures and the synergistic effect between the C@MoS₂ nanosheet arrays and Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles. The Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles act as spacers to steady the structure, and the graphite carbon could be incorporated into MoS₂ nanosheets to improve the conductivity of the whole electrode and strengthen the integration of MoS₂ nanosheets and CFC by the adhesive role, together ensuring high conductivity and mechanical stability.     

In Situ Encapsulating α‐MnS into N,S‐Codoped Nanotube‐Like Carbon as Advanced Anode Material: α → β Phase Transition Promoted Cycling Stability and Superior Li/Na‐Storage Performance in Half/Full Cells

Incorporation of N,S‐codoped nanotube‐like carbon (N,S‐NTC) can endow electrode materials with superior electrochemical properties owing to the unique nanoarchitecture and improved kinetics. Herein, α‐MnS nanoparticles (NPs) are in situ encapsulated into N,S‐NTC, preparing an advanced anode material (α‐MnS@N,S‐NTC) for lithium‐ion/sodium‐ion batteries (LIBs/SIBs). It is for the first time revealed that electrochemical α → β phase transition of MnS NPs during the 1st cycle effectively promotes Li‐storage properties, which is deduced by the studies of ex situ X‐ray diffraction/high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy and electrode kinetics. As a result, the optimized α‐MnS@N,S‐NTC electrode delivers a high Li‐storage capacity (1415 mA h g^?1 at 50 mA g^?1), excellent rate capability (430 mA h g^?1 at 10 A g^?1), and long‐term cycling stability (no obvious capacity decay over 5000 cycles at 1 A g^?1) with retained morphology. In addition, the N,S‐NTC‐based encapsulation plays the key roles on enhancing the electrochemical properties due to its high conductivity and unique 1D nanoarchitecture with excellent protective effects to active MnS NPs. Furthermore, α‐MnS@N,S‐NTC also delivers high Na‐storage capacity (536 mA h g^?1 at 50 mA g^?1) without the occurrence of such α → β phase transition and excellent full‐cell performances as coupling with commercial LiFePO₄ and LiNi_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2O₂ cathodes in LIBs as well as Na₃V₂(PO₄)₂O₂F cathode in SIBs.