Synthesis of Chl@Ti3C2 composites as an anode material for lithium storage

Two-dimensional (2D) titanium carbide MXene Ti₃C₂ has attracted significant research interest in energy storage applications. In this study, we prepared Chl@Ti₃C₂ composites by simply mixing a chlorophyll derivative (e.g., zinc methyl 3-devinyl-3-hydroxymethyl- pyropheophorbide a (Chl)) and Ti₃C₂ in tetrahydrofuran, where the Chl molecules were aggregated among the multi-layered Ti₃C₂ MXene or on its surface, increasing the interlayer space of Ti₃C₂. The as-prepared Chl@Ti₃C₂ was employed as the anode material in the lithium-ion battery (LIB) with lithium metal as the cathode. The resulting LIB exhibited a higher reversible capacity and longer cycle performance than those of LIB based on pure Ti₃C₂, and its specific discharge capacity continuously increased along with the increasing number of cycles, which can be attributed to the gradual activation of Chl@Ti₃C₂ accompanied by the electrochemical reactions. The discharge capacity of 1 wt-% Chl@Ti₃C₂ was recorded to be 325 mA·h·g^–1 at the current density of 50 mA·g^–1 with a Coulombic efficiency of 56% and a reversible discharge capacity of 173 mA·h·g^–1 at the current density of 500 mA·g^–1 after 800 cycles. This work provides a novel strategy for improving the energy storage performance of 2D MXene materials by expanding the layer distance with organic dye aggregates.     

Lithium Storage Performance of Hollow and Core/Shell TiO2 Microspheres Containing Carbon☆

TiO2 microspheres containing carbon have been synthesized viaa one-pot hydrothermal process using CTAB as the mesoporous template and nanoparticle stabilizer and Ti(SO4)2 and sucrose as titanium and ca...     

Effective enhancement of the electrochemical properties for Na2FeP2O7/C cathode materials by boron doping

In recent years, the composite materials based on polyanionic frameworks as secondary sodium ion battery electrode material have been developed in large-scale energy storage applications due to its safety and stability. The Na₂FeP₂O₇/C (theoretical capacity 97 mA·h·g^-1) is recognized as optimum Na-storage cathode materials with a trade-off between electrode performance and cost. In the present work, The Na₂FeP₂O₇/C and boron-doped Na₂FeP_2-BO₇/C composites were synthesized via a novel method of liquid phase combined with high temperature solid phase. The non-metallic element B doping not only had positive influence on the crystal structure stability, Na⁺ diffusion and electrical conductivity of Na₂FeP₂O₇/C, but also contributed to the high-value recycling of B element in waste borax. The structure and electrochemical properties of the cathode material were investigated via X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and charge/discharge cycling. The results showed that different amounts of boron doping had positive effects on the structure and electrochemical properties of the material. The initial charge/discharge performances of born doped materials were improved in comparison to the bare Na₂FeP₂O₇/C. The cycle performance of the Na₂FeP_1.95B_0.05O₇/C showed an initial reversible capacity of 74.8 mA·h·g^-1 and the high capacity retention of 91.8% after 100 cycles at 1.0 C, while the initial reversible capacity of the bare Na₂FeP₂O₇/C was only 66.2 mA·h·g^-1. The improvement of apparent Na⁺ diffusion and electrical conductivity due to B doping were verified by the EIS test and CVs at various scan rate. The experimental results from present work is useful for opening new insight into the contrivance and creation of applicable sodium polyanionic cathode materials for high-performance.     

One-step synthesis of recoverable CuCo2S4 anode material for high-performance Li-ion batteries

A facile one-step hydrothermal method has been adopted to directly synthesize the CuCo₂S₄ material on the surface of Ni foam. Due to the relatively large specific surface area and wide pore size distribution, the CuCo₂S₄ material not only effectively increases the reactive area, but also accommodates more side reaction products to avoid the difficulty of mass transfer. When evaluated as anode for Li-ion batteries, the CuCo₂S₄ material exhibits excellent electrochemical performance including high discharge capacity, outstanding cyclic stability and good rate performance. At the current density of 200 mA·g⁻¹, the CuCo₂S₄ material shows an extremely high initial discharge capacity of 2510 mAh·g⁻¹, and the cycle numbers of the material even reach 83 times when the discharge capacity is reduced to 500 mAh·g⁻¹. Furthermore, the discharge capacity can reach 269 mAh·g⁻¹ at a current of 2000 mA·g⁻¹. More importantly, when the current density comes back to 200 mA·g⁻¹, the discharge capacity could be recovered to 1436 mAh·g⁻¹, suggesting an excellent capacity recovery characteristics.     

FeS2@TiO2 nanorods as high-performance anode for sodium ion battery

Sodium-ion battery (SIB) is an ideal device that could replace lithium-ion battery (LIB) in grid-scale energy storage system for power because of the low cost and rich reserve of raw material. The key challenge lies in developing electrode materials enabling reversible Na⁺ insertion/desertion and fast reaction kinetics. Herein, a core-shell structure, FeS₂ nanoparticles encapsulated in biphase TiO₂ shell (FeS₂@TiO₂), is developed towards the improvement of sodium storage. The diphase TiO₂ coating supplies abundant anatase/rutile interface and oxygen vacancies which will enhance the charge transfer, and avoid severe volume variation of FeS₂ caused by the Na⁺ insertion. The FeS₂ core will deliver high theoretical capacity through its conversion reaction mechanism. Consequently, the FeS₂@TiO₂ nanorods display notable performance as anode for SIBs including long-term cycling performance (637.8 mA·h·g^-1 at 0.2 A·g^-1 after 300 cycles, 374.9 mA·h·g^-1 at 5.0 A·g^-1 after 600 cycles) and outstanding rate capability (222.2 mA·h·g^-1 at 10 A·g^-1). Furthermore, the synthesized FeS₂@TiO₂ demonstrates significant pseudocapacitive behavior which accounts for 90.7% of the Na⁺ storage, and efficiently boosts the rate capability. This work provides a new pathway to fabricate anode material with an optimized structure and crystal phase for SIBs.     

Pre-sodiation strategy for superior sodium storage batteries

The irreversible consumption of sodium in the initial several cycles greatly led to the attenuation of capacity, which caused the low initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) and obvious poor cycle stability. Pre-sodiation can effectively improve the electrochemical performance by compensating the capacity loss in the initial cycle. Here, carbon-coated sodium-pretreated iron disulfide (NaFeS₂@C) has been synthesized through conventional chemical method and used in sodium metal battery as a cathode material. The calculated density of states (DOS) of NaFeS₂@C is higher, which implies enhanced electron mobility and improved cycle reversibility. Because of the highly reversible conversion reaction and the compensation of irreversible capacity loss during the initial cycle, the Na/NaFeS₂@C battery achieves ultra-high initial coulombic efficiency (96.7%) and remarkable capacity (751 mA·h·g^-1 at 0.1 A·g^-1). In addition, highly reversible electrochemical reactions and ultra-thin NaF-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) also benefit for the electrochemical performance, even at high current density of 100 A·g^-1, it still exhibits a reversible capacity of 136 mA·h·g^-1, and 343 mA·h·g^-1 after 2500 cycles at 5.0 A·g^-1. This work aims to bring up new insights to improve the ICE and stability of sodium metal batteries.     

Enhanced electrochemical performance of garnet-based solid-state lithium metal battery with modified anodic and cathodic interfaces

Due to high ionic conductivity and wide electrochemical window, the garnet solid electrolyte is considered as the most promising candidate electrolyte for solid-state lithium metal batteries. However, the high contact impedance between metallic lithium and the garnet solid electrolyte surface seriously hampers its further application. In this work, a Li-(ZnO)_x anode is prepared by the reaction of zinc oxide with metallic lithium and in situ coated on the surface of Li_6.8La₃Zr_1.8Ta_0.2O₁₂(LLZTO). The anode can be perfectly bound to the surface of LLZTO solid electrolyte, and the anode/electrolyte interfacial resistance was reduced from 2319 to 33.75 Ω·cm². The Li-(ZnO)_0.15|LLZTO|Li-(ZnO)_0.15 symmetric battery exhibits a stable Li striping/plating process during charge-discharging at a constant current density of 0.1 mA·cm^-2 for 100 h at room temperature. Moreover, a Li-(ZnO)_0.15|LLZTO-SPE|LFP full battery, comprised of a polyethylene oxide-based solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) film as an interlayer between LiFePO₄ (LFP) cathode and LLZTO solid electrolyte, presents an excellent performance at 60 ℃. The discharge capacity of the full battery reaches 140 mA·h·g^-1 at 0.1 C and the capacity attenuation is less than 3% after 50 cycles.     

Novel hierarchical yolk-shell α-Ni(OH)2/Mn2O3 microspheres as high specific capacitance electrode materials for supercapacitors

For high performance supercapacitors, novel hierarchical yolk-shell a-Ni(OH)₂/Mn₂O₃ microspheres were controllably synthesized using a facile two-step method based on the solvothermal treatment. The unique a-Ni(OH)₂ based yolk-shell microstructures decorated with numerous interconnected nanosheets and the hetero-composition features can synergistically enhance reactive site exposure and electron conduction within the microspheres, facilitate charge transfer between electrolyte and electrode materials, and release structural stress during OH⁻ chemisorption/desorption. Moreover, the Mn₂O₃ sediments distributed over the a-Ni(OH)₂ microspheres can serve as an effective protective layer for electrochemical reactions. Consequently, when tested in 1 mol·L⁻¹ KOH aqueous electrolyte for supercapacitors, the yolk-shell a-Ni(OH)₂/Mn₂O₃ microspheres exhibited a considerably high specific capacitance of 2228.6 F·g⁻¹ at 1 A·g⁻¹ and an impressive capacitance retention of 77.7% after 3000 cycles at 10 A·g⁻¹. The proposed a-Ni(OH)₂/Mn₂O₃ microspheres with hetero-composition and unique hierarchical yolk-shell microstructures are highly promising to be used as electrode materials in supercapacitors and other energy storage devices.     

原位合成的介孔TiO2-B/锐钛微粒:改善的锂离子电池阳极材料（英文）

Mesoporous TiO2-B/anatase microparticles have been in-situ synthesized from K2Ti2O5 without template. The TiO2-B phase around the particle surface accelerates the diffusion of charges through the interface, while the anatase phase in the core maintains the capacity stability. The heterojunction interface between the main polymorph of anatase and the trace of TiO2-B exhibits promising lithium ion battery performance. This trace of 5%(by mass) TiO2-B determined by Raman spectra brings the first discharge capacity of this material to 247 mA·h·g?1, giving 20%improvement com-pared to the anatase counterpart. Stability testing at 1 C reveals that the capacity maintains at 171 mA·h·g?1, which is better than 162 mA·h·g?1 for single phase anatase or 159 mA·h·g?1 for TiO2-B. The mesoporous TiO2-B/anatase microparticles also show superior rate performance with 100 mA·h·g?1 at 40 C, increased by nearly 25%as compared to pure anatase. This opens a possibility of a general design route, which can be applied to other metal oxide electrode materials for rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors.     

Electrospun porous carbon nanofibers derived from bio-based phenolic resins as free-standing electrodes for high-performance supercapacitors

Phenolic resins were employed to prepare electrospun porous carbon nanofibers with a high specific surface area as free-standing electrodes for high-performance supercapacitors. However, the sustainable development of conventional phenolic resin has been challenged by petroleum-based phenol and formaldehyde. Lignin with abundant phenolic hydroxyl groups is the main non-petroleum resource that can provide renewable aromatic compounds. Hence, lignin, phenol, and furfural were used to synthesize bio-based phenolic resins, and the activated carbon nanofibers were obtained by electrospinning and one-step carbonization activation. Fourier transform infrared and differential scanning calorimetry were used to characterize the structural and thermal properties. The results reveal that the apparent activation energy of the curing reaction is 89.21 kJ·mol^–1 and the reaction order is 0.78. The activated carbon nanofibers show a uniform diameter, specific surface area up to 1100 m²·g^–1, and total pore volume of 0.62 cm³·g^–1. The electrode demonstrates a specific capacitance of 238 F·g^–1 (0.1 A·g^–1) and good rate capability. The symmetric supercapacitor yields a high energy density of 26.39 W·h·kg^–1 at 100 W·kg^–1 and an excellent capacitance retention of 98% after 10000 cycles. These results confirm that the activated carbon nanofiber from bio-based phenolic resins can be applied as electrode material for high-performance supercapacitors.     

Self-assembled MoS2/C nanoflowers with expanded interlayer spacing as a high-performance anode for sodium ion batteries

Two-dimensional (2D) MoS₂ nanomaterials have been extensively studied due to their special structure and high theoretical capacity, but it is still a huge challenge to improve its cycle stability and achieve superior fast charge and discharge performance. Herein, a facile one-step hydrothermal method is proposed to synthetize an ordered and self-assembled MoS₂ nanoflower (MoS₂/C NF) with expanded interlayer spacing via embedding a carbon layer into the interlayer. The carbon layer in the MoS₂ interlayer can speed the transfer of electrons, while the nanoflower structure promotes the ions transport and improves the structural stability during the charging/discharging process. Therefore, MoS₂/C NF electrode exhibits exceptional rate performance (318.2 and 302.3 mA·h·g^-1 at 5.0 and 10.0 A·g^-1, respectively) and extraordinary cycle durability (98.8% retention after 300 cycles at a current density of 1.0 A·g^-1). This work provides a simple and feasible method for constructing high-performance anode composites for sodium ion batteries with excellent cycle durability and fast charge/discharge ability.     

Facile synthesis of spinel LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 as 5.0 V-class high-voltage cathode materials for Li-ion batteries

LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ and LiMn₂O₄ with novel spinel morphology were synthesized by a hydrothermal and post-calcination process. The synthesized LiMn₂O₄ particles (5-10 μm) are uniform hexahedron, while the LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ has spindle-like morphology with the long axis 10-15 μm, short axis 5-8 μm. Both LiMn₂O₄ and LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ show high capacity when used as cathode materials for Li-ion batteries. In the voltage range of 2.5-5.5 V at room temperature, the LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ has a high discharge capacity of 135.04 mA·h·g^-1 at 20 mA·g^-1, which is close to 147 mA·h·g^-1 (theoretical capacity of LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄). The discharge capacity of LiMn₂O₄ is 131.08 mA·h·g^-1 at 20 mA·g^-1. Moreover, the LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ shows a higher capacity retention (76%) compared to that of LiMn₂O₄ (61%) after 50 cycles. The morphology and structure of LiMn₂O₄ and LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ are well kept even after cycling as demonstrated by SEM and XRD on cycled LiMn₂O₄ and LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ electrodes.     

g-C3N4-coated MnO2 hollow nanorod cathode for stable aqueous Zn-ion batteries

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries are attracting considerable attention because of their high safety compared with conventional lithium-ion batteries. Manganese-based materials have been widely developed for zinc-ion batteries cathode owning to their low cost, high security and simple preparation. However, the severe volume expansion and poor stability during charging and discharging limit the further development of manganese-based cathodes. Herein, superior α-MnO₂@g-C₃N₄ was successfully prepared for stable zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) cathode by introducing g-C₃N₄ nanosheets. Compared with pure α-MnO₂, α-MnO₂@g-C₃N₄ has a specific capacity of 298 mAh·g^–1 at 0.1 A·g^–1. Even at 1 A·g^–1, the α-MnO₂@g-C₃N₄ still retains 100 mAh·g^–1 (83.4% retention after 5000 cycles), implying its excellent cycling stability. The α-MnO₂@g-C₃N₄-based cathode has the highest energy density (563 Wh·kg^–1) and power energy density (2170 W·kg^–1). This work provides new avenues for the development of a wider range of cathode materials for ZIBs.     

High-performance supercapacitors based on Ni2P@CNT nanocomposites prepared using an ultrafast microwave approach

We present a one-step route for the preparation of nickel phosphide/carbon nanotube (Ni₂P@CNT) nanocomposites for supercapacitor applications using a facile, ultrafast (90 s) microwave-based approach. Ni₂P nanoparticles could grow uniformly on the surface of CNTs under the optimized reaction conditions, namely, a feeding ratio of 30:50:25 for CNT, Ni(NO₃)₂·6H₂O, and red phosphorus and a microwave power of 1000 W for 90 s. Our study demonstrated that the single-step microwave synthesis process for creating metal phosphide nanoparticles was faster and simpler than all the other existing methods. Electrochemical results showed that the specific capacitance of the optimal Ni₂P@CNT-nanocomposite electrode displayed a high specific capacitance of 854 F·g⁻¹ at 1 A·g⁻¹ and a superior capacitance retention of 84% after 5000 cycles at 10 A·g⁻¹. Finally, an asymmetric supercapacitor was assembled using the nanocomposite with activated carbon as one electrode (Ni₂P@CNT//AC), which showed a remarkable energy density of 33.5 W·h·kg⁻¹ and a power density of 387.5 W·kg⁻¹. This work will pave the way for the microwave synthesis of other transition metal phosphide materials for use in energy storage systems.     

锂离子电池负极材料Li4Ti5O12/C的制备与表征

针对Li₄Ti₅O₁₂导电性和倍率性能差的缺陷,以PEG为碳源采用溶胶-凝胶法制备出电池负极材料Li₄Ti₅O₁₂/C,考察不同分子量聚乙二醇PEG(400、600、1000)做碳源制备的Li₄Ti₅O₁₂/C复合材料电化学性能的优劣,采用热重分析仪(TG)、X射线衍射仪(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)、透射电镜(TEM)、恒流充放电、倍率放电、交流阻抗(EIS)等方法对材料进行了结构表征和电化学性能测试。结果表明:以PEG1000为碳源时得到的Li₄Ti₅O₁₂/C,0.1C下首次放电比容量为143.5 mA·h·g^-1,2C的倍率下仍然保持了105 mA·h·g^-1的比容量,容量保持率达到73.17%,并且此材料有最小的电阻,在大电流条件下有良好的电化学性能。     

Enabling nickel ferrocyanide nanoparticles for high-performance ammonium ion storage

Prussian blue and its analogs are extensively investigated as a cathode for ammonium-ion batteries. However, they often suffer from poor electronic conductivity. Here, we report a Ni₂Fe(CN)₆/multiwalled carbon nanotube composite electrode material, which is prepared using a simple coprecipitation approach. The obtained material consists of nanoparticles with sizes 30–50 nm and the multiwalled carbon nanotube embedded in it. The existence of multiwalled carbon nanotube ensures that the Ni₂Fe(CN)₆/multiwalled carbon nanotube composite shows excellent electrochemical performance, achieving a discharge capacity of 55.1 mAh·g^–1 at 1 C and 43.2 mAh·g^–1 even at 15 C. An increase in the ammonium-ion diffusion coefficient and ionic/electron conductivity based on kinetic investigations accounts for their high performance. Furthermore, detailed ex situ characterizations demonstrate that Ni₂Fe(CN)₆/multiwalled carbon nanotube composite offers three advantages: negligible lattice expansion during cycling, stable structure, and the reversible redox couple. Therefore, the Ni₂Fe(CN)₆/multiwalled carbon nanotube composite presents a long cycling life and high rate capacity. Finally, our study reports a desirable material for ammonium-ion batteries and provides a practical approach for improving the electrochemical performance of Prussian blue and its analogs.     

Novel synthesis of SiOx/C composite as high-capacity lithium-ion battery anode from silica-carbon binary xerogel

Micro/nanostructured SiO_x/C composite was firstly synthesized by carbothermal reduction of silica-carbon binary xerogel. The homogeneous dispersion feature of the two components in binary xerogel contributes to effectively carbothermally reduce the O/Si atomic ratio, enhancing the electrochemical activity of the SiO_x component.The micron-sized SiO_x/C spheres are composed of many near-spherical nanoparticles. The synthesized SiO_x/C exhibits a stable and high reversible capacity of 830 m A·h·g~(-1) for 100 cycles, and excellent rate-capability. The homogeneous dispersion structure of phases, the micro/nanostructure and the high electrochemical activity of SiO_x component combinedly contribute the excellent electrochemical performance.     

Continuous amino-functionalized University of Oslo 66 membranes as efficacious polysulfide barriers for lithium−sulfur batteries

The shuttle effect of soluble polysulfides is a serious problem impeding the development of lithium−sulfur batteries. Herein, continuous amino-functionalized University of Oslo 66 membranes supported on carbon nanotube films are proposed as ion-permselective interlayers that overcome these issues and show outstanding suppression of the polysulfide shuttle effect. The proposed membrane material has appropriately sized pores, and can act as ionic sieves and serve as barriers to polysulfides transport while allowing the passage of lithium ions during electrochemical cycles, thereby validly preventing the shuttling of polysulfides. Moreover, a fast catalytic conversion of polysulfides is also achieved with the as-developed interlayer. Therefore, lithium−sulfur batteries with this interlayer show a desirable initial capacity of 999.21 mAh·g^–1 at 1 C and a durable cyclic stability with a decay rate of only 0.04% per cycle over 300 cycles. Moreover, a high area capacity of 4.82 mAh·cm^–2 is also obtained even under increased sulfur loading (5.12 mg·cm^–2) and a lean-electrolyte condition (E/S = 4.8 μL·mg^–1).     

Influence of synergistic effect of LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2@Cr2O5 composite on the electrochemical properties

LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.15)Al_(0.05)O_2@Cr_2O_5(NCA)@Cr_2 O_5 composite electrode combines the high rate-capability characteristics of NCA with the stability of Cr_2 O_5, playing a synergistic role in improving the cyclic stability, initial discharge capacity and the security of low cut-off voltage(2.0 V). When the mass ratio of Cr_2 O_5 in NCA is 45%(mass), the capacity retention rate increases from 58.5% without Cr_2 O_5 to 69.3% in the range of 2.0–4.3 V.The initial discharge capacity of NCA@Cr_2 O_5 composite material is 211.4 m A·h·g~(-1), its first coulombic efficiency is 94.2%, and the charging capacity remains approximately constant when mixed with 15%(mass)Cr_2 O_5. The reason for the improvement of the initial charge–discharge efficiency(ICDE) was explained.Impedance and cyclic voltammetry analysis reveal more detailed reasons of the observed improvements.Compared with NCA cathode material, the NCA@Cr_2 O_5 composite material can provide not only additional stable sites and channels for Li+insertion/extraction to make up for the loss of active Li+sites and prevent the accumulation of Li+in the circulation process, but also protect the NCA electrode from the corrosion of the electrolyte decomposition by the Cr_2 O_5 nanoparticles adhering to NCA interface.     

A facile preparation of 3D flower-shaped Ni/Al-LDHs covered by β-Ni(OH)2 nanoplates as superior material for high power application

In the present study, we propose a novel electrode material of β-nickel hydroxide covering nickel/aluminum layered double hydroxides via a facile complexation-precipitation method. The as-obtained materials with 3-dimensional nanostructures are further utilized as highly capable electrode material in nickel-metal hydride batteries. The electrochemical test results demonstrated the β-nickel hydroxide covering nickel/aluminum-layered double hydroxides with 28% of β-nickel hydroxide provided a superior specific capacity value of 452 mA·h·g^-1 in a current density of 5 A·g^-1 using 6 M KOH as electrolyte as compared with other materials. In addition, the optimized sample displays an outstanding cyclic stability along with a huge specific capacity value of 320 mAh·g^-1, and very small decay rate of 3.3% at 50 A·g^-1 after 3000 cycles of charge/discharge test. These indicate that the newly designed material with nanostructures not only provides an efficient contact interface between electrolyte and active species and facilitates the transport of electrons and ions, but also protects the 3-dimensional nickel/aluminum layered double hydroxides, achieving a high specific capacity, fast redox reaction and excellent long-term cyclic stability. Therefore, the β-nickel hydroxide covering nickel/aluminum layered double hydroxides with superior electrochemical performance is predictable to be a gifted electrode material in nickel-metal hydride batteries.