Synthesis and characterization of LiNi0.95-xCoxAl0.05O2 for lithium-ion batteries

Samples of LiNi0.95-xCoxAl0.05O2 （x = 0.10 and 0.15） and LiNiO2, synthesized by the solid-state reaction at 725℃ for 24 h from LiOH-H2O, Ni2O3, Co2O3, and AI（OH）3 under an oxygen stream, were characterized by TG-DTA, XRD, SEM, and electrochemical tests. Simultaneous doping of cobalt and aluminum at the Ni-site in LiNiO2 was tried to improve the cathode performance for lithium-ion batteries. The results showed that co-doping （especially, 5 at.% A1 and 10 at.% Co） definitely had a large beneficial effect in increasing the capacity （186.2 mA.h/g of the first discharge capacity for LiNio.s.42OoaoAlo.0502） and cycling behavior （180.1 mA-h/g after 10 cycles for LiNio.85CooaoAlo.osO2） compared with 180.7 mA.h/g of the first discharge capacity and 157.7 mA.h/g of the tenth discharge capacity for LiNiO2, respectively. Differen- tial capacity versus voltage curves showed that the co-doped LiNio.95_xCoxmlo.osO2 had less intensity of the phase transitions than the pristine LiNiO2.     

离子轰击膏剂渗硼试验

通过增加辅助阴极,提高无附加热源的离子渗氮炉的升温速度和使用温度,以满足离子渗硼的需要,对以硼铁为供硼剂的渗硼膏剂进行试验,选出在本试验条件下的最佳渗硼膏剂。利用此膏剂,对45钢在850℃×3h条件下进行离子渗硼,得到180μm厚的渗硼层。     

Unlocking the Capacity of Vanadium Oxide by Atomically Thin Graphene-Analogous V2O5·nH2O in Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

Aqueous Zn-ion batteries (AZIBs) are promising due to their high theoretical energy density and intrinsic safety, and the natural abundance of Zn. Since low voltage is an intrinsic shortage of AZIBs, achieving super-high capacity of cathode materials is a vital way to realize high practical energy density, which however remains a huge challenge. Herein, the capacity increase of classical vanadium oxide cathode is predicted via designing atomic thickness of 2D structure to introduce abundant Zn²⁺ storage sites based on density functional theory (DFT) calculation; then graphene-analogous V₂O₅·nH₂O (GAVOH) with only few atomic layers is fabricated, realizing a record capacity of 714 mAh g⁻¹. Pseudocapacitive effect is unveiled to mainly contribute to the super-high capacity due to the highly exposed GAVOH external surface. In situ Raman and synchrotron X-ray techniques unambiguously uncover the Zn²⁺ storage mechanism. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are further introduced to design GAVOH-CNTs gel ink for large-scale cathode fabrication. The hybrid cathode demonstrates ultra-stable cycling and excellent rate capability and delivers a high energy density of 476 Wh kg⁻¹ at 76 W kg⁻¹; 228 Wh kg⁻¹ is still retained at high mass loading of 10.2 mg cm⁻². This work provides inspiration for breaking the capacity limit of cathode in AZIBs.     

Hydrofluoric Acid-Removable Additive Optimizing Electrode Electrolyte Interphases with Li+ Conductive Moieties for 4.5 V Lithium Metal Batteries

High-voltage lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are capable to achieve the increasing energy density. However, their cycling life is seriously affected by unstable electrolyte/electrode interfaces and capacity instability at high voltage. Herein, a hydrofluoric acid (HF)-removable additive is proposed to optimize electrode electrolyte interphases for addressing the above issues. N, N-dimethyl-4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-yl) aniline (DMPATMB) is used as the electrolyte additive to induce PF₆⁻ decomposition to form a dense and robust LiF-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) for suppressing Li dendrite growth. Moreover, DMPATMB can help to form highly Li⁺ conductive Li₃N and LiBO₂, which can boost the Li⁺ transport across SEI and cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI). In addition, DMPATMB can scavenge traced HF in the electrolyte to protect both SEI and CEI from the corrosion. As expected, 4.5 V Li|| LiNi_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2O₂ batteries with such electrolyte deliver 145 mAh g⁻¹ after 140 cycles at 200 mA g⁻¹. This work provides a novel insight into high-voltage electrolyte additives for LMBs.     

Inorganic Filler Enhanced Formation of Stable Inorganic-Rich Solid Electrolyte Interphase for High Performance Lithium Metal Batteries

Lithium metal (LM) is a promising anode material for next generation lithium ion based electrochemical energy storage devices. Critical issues of unstable solid electrolyte interphases (SEIs) and dendrite growth however still impede its practical applications. Herein, a composite gel polymer electrolyte (GPE), formed through in situ polymerization of pentaerythritol tetraacrylate with fumed silica fillers, is developed to achieve high performance lithium metal batteries (LMBs). As evidenced theoretically and experimentally, the presence of SiO₂ not only accelerates Li⁺ transport but also regulates Li⁺ solvation sheath structures, thus facilitating fast kinetics and formation of stable LiF-rich interphase and achieving uniform Li depositions to suppress Li dendrite growth. The composite GPE-based Li||Cu half-cells and Li||Li symmetrical cells display high Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 90.3% after 450 cycles and maintain stability over 960 h at 3 mA cm⁻² and 3 mAh cm⁻², respectively. In addition, Li||LiFePO₄ full-cells with a LM anode of limited Li supply of 4 mAh cm⁻² achieve capacity retention of 68.5% after 700 cycles at 0.5 C (1 C = 170 mA g⁻¹). Especially, when further applied in anode-free LMBs, the carbon cloth||LiFePO₄ full-cell exhibits excellent cycling stability with an average CE of 99.94% and capacity retention of 90.3% at the 160th cycle at 0.5 C.     

Catalytically Induced Robust Inorganic-Rich Cathode Electrolyte Interphase for 4.5 V Li||NCM622 Batteries

Tailoring inorganic components of cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) and solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is critical to improving the cycling performance of lithium metal batteries. However, it is challenging due to complicated electrolyte reactions on cathode/anode surfaces. Herein, the species and inorganic component content of the CEI/SEI is enriched with an objectively gradient distribution through employing pentafluorophenyl 4-nitrobenzenesulfonate (PFBNBS) as electrolyte additive guided by engineering bond order with functional groups. In addition, a catalytic effect of LiNi_0.6Mn_0.2Co_0.2O₂ (NCM622) cathode is proposed on the decomposition of PFBNBS. PFBNBS with lower highest occupied molecular orbital can be preferentially oxidized on the NCM622 surface with the help of the catalytic effect to induce an inorganic-rich CEI for superior electrochemical performance at high voltage. Moreover, PFBNBS can be reduced on the Li surface due to its lower lowest unoccupied molecular orbital , increasing inorganic moieties in SEI for inhibiting Li dendrite generation. Thus, 4.5 V Li||NCM622 batteries with such electrolyte can retain 70.4% of initial capacity after 500 cycles at 0.2 C, which is attributed to the protective effect of the excellent CEI on NCM622 and the inhibitory effect of its derived CEI/SEI on continuous electrolyte decomposition.     

A Materials Perspective on Direct Recycling of Lithium-Ion Batteries: Principles,Challenges and Opportunities

As the dominant means of energy storage technology today, the widespread deployment of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) would inevitably generate countless spent batteries at their end of life. From the perspectives of environmental protection and resource sustainability, recycling is a necessary strategy to manage end-of-life LIBs. Compared with traditional hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical recycling methods, the emerging direct recycling technology, rejuvenating spent electrode materials via a non-destructive way, has attracted rising attention due to its energy efficient processes along with increased economic return and reduced CO₂ footprint. This review investigates the state-of-the-art direct recycling technologies based on effective relithiation through solid-state, aqueous, eutectic solution and ionic liquid mediums and thoroughly discusses the underlying regeneration mechanism of each method regarding different battery chemistries. It is concluded that direct regeneration can be a more energy-efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable way to recycle spent LIBs compared with traditional approaches. Additionally, it is also identified that the direct recycling technology is still in its infancy with several fundamental and technological hurdles such as efficient separation, binder removal and electrolyte recovery. In addressing these remaining challenges, this review proposes an outlook on potential technical avenues to accelerate the development of direct recycling toward industrial applications.     

Tetrabutylammonium Bromide Functionalized Ti3C2Tx MXene as Versatile Cathode Buffer Layer for Efficient and Stable Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells

2D Ti₃C₂T_x MXene, possessing facile preparation, high electrical conductivity, flexibility, and solution processability, shows good application potential for enhancing device performance of perovskite solar cells (PVSCs). In this study, tetrabutylammonium bromide functionalized Ti₃C₂T_x (TBAB-Ti₃C₂T_x) is developed as cathode buffer layer (CBL) to regulate the PCBM/Ag cathode interfacial property for the first time. By virtue of the charge transfer from TBAB to Ti₃C₂T_x demonstrated by electron paramagnetic resonance and density functional theory, the TBAB-Ti₃C₂T_x CBL with high electrical conductivity exhibits significantly reduced work function of 3.9 eV, which enables optimization of energy level alignment and enhancement of charge extraction. Moreover, the TBAB-Ti₃C₂T_x CBL can effectively inhibit the migration of iodine ions from perovskite layer to Ag cathode, which synergistically suppresses defect states and reduce charge recombination. Consequently, utilizing MAPbI₃ perovskite without post-treatment, the TBAB-Ti₃C₂T_x based device exhibits a dramatically improved power conversion efficiency of 21.65% with significantly improved operational stability, which is one of the best efficiencies reported for the devices based on MAPbI₃/PCBM with different CBLs. These results indicate that TBAB-Ti₃C₂T_x shall be a promising CBL for high-performance inverted PVSCs and inspire the further applications of quaternary ammonium functionalized MXenes in PVSCs.     

MoS2/C纳米复合材料的合成及其电化学性能研究

理论比能量高达2 600 Wh/kg的锂硫电池已经成为锂电池研究热点,然而硫导电性不好、穿梭效应和锂化体积效应较大等问题阻碍了锂硫电池的产业化。将无定型多孔碳材料的高导电性和极性MoS₂的固硫作用相结合改善锂硫电池的电化学性能。所得的S@MoS₂/C在0.05 C和2 C电流密度下的放电比容量分别为1 507和406.3 mAh/g,比S@MoS₂在相同电流密度下的放电比容量（1 400和345.7 mAh/g）更高。在循环性能测试中,S@MoS₂/C容量保持率为46.9%,要高于S@MoS₂（39.1%）。因此,MoS₂/C复合材料作为硫载体可以显著改善锂硫电池性能。     

Study of tool trajectory in blisk channel ECM with spiral feeding

Electrochemical machining (ECM) plays an important role in blisk manufacturing. There are two steps in blisk ECM: machining of channels and precise shaping of blade profiles. In channel machining, channels are machined in the workpiece with allowance left to the following process. Therefore, the main aim of channel machining with ECM is to improve the allowance distribution. With this aim, a new ECM method for blisk channels, spiral feeding ECM, is developed in which the cathode feeds from blade tip to hub along with rotation motion around its axis. Through this combined motion, twisted channels are produced in the workpiece. The relationship between feed position and rotation angle is presented in the form of a mathematical model. Experiments with a feed rate of 1 mm/min confirm that spiral feeding ECM is feasible and efficient. Compared with radial ECM, the allowance differences in blank back and blank basin decrease by 32.7% and 33.6%, respectively. The surface roughnesses Ra in blank back, blank basin, and hub are 0.358, 0.308, and 0.102 µm, respectively. Thus, the allowance distribution is improved to be more uniform considerably and the surface quality is relatively high.