Recent Advancements of Graphene-Based Materials for Zinc-Based Batteries: Beyond Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Graphene-based materials (GBMs) possess a unique set of properties including tunable interlayer channels, high specific surface area, and good electrical conductivity characteristics, making it a promising material of choice for making electrode in rechargeable batteries. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) currently dominate the commercial rechargeable battery market, but their further development has been hampered by limited lithium resources, high lithium costs, and organic electrolyte safety concerns. From the performance, safety, and cost aspects, zinc-based rechargeable batteries have become a promising alternative of rechargeable batteries. This review highlights recent advancements and development of a variety of graphene derivative-based materials and its composites, with a focus on their potential applications in rechargeable batteries such as LIBs, zinc-air batteries (ZABs), zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs), and zinc-iodine batteries (Zn-I2 Bs). Finally, there is an outlook on the challenges and future directions of this great potential research field.

Sustainable Production of Molybdenum Carbide (MXene) from Fruit Wastes for Improved Solar Evaporation.

Invited for the cover of this issue is the group of Edison Huixiang Ang at the National Institute of Education, an institute of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The image depicts the sustainable fabrication of two-dimensional MXene sheets from the upcycling of fruit waste for solar desalination. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.202203184.

Sustainable Production of Molybdenum Carbide (MXene) from Fruit Wastes for Improved Solar Evaporation.

Freshwater production using solar-driven interfacial evaporation is regarded as a green and sustainable strategy. The biggest barrier to practical deployment of solar desalination, however, continues to be the lack of options for renewable materials. Herein, we present a facile two-step carbonization approach that is sustainable for developing innovative two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum carbide (Mo2 C) materials derived from carbonized fruit wastes. The resultant 2D Mo2 C photothermal layer has an efficient water evaporation rate of 1.52 kg m-2 h-1 with a photothermal conversion efficiency of 94 % under one sun irradiation, which is among the best reported values so far. The broad solar absorption band, high specific surface area (555.1 m2 g-1 ) with large micro- and meso porosity, of the Mo2 C photothermal layer are responsible for these outstanding results. The conversion of food wastes into valuable products, in this case MXene, can potentially inspire greener developments of advanced materials for solar water evaporator.

Membranes prepared from graphene-based nanomaterials for water purification: a mini-review.

Graphene-based nanomaterials (GBnMs) are currently regarded as a critical building block for the fabrication of membranes for water purification due to their advantageous properties such as easy surface modification of functional groups, adjustable interlayer pore channels for solvent transportation, robust mechanical properties, and superior photothermal capabilities. By combining graphene derivatives with other emerging materials, heteroatom doping and rational design of a three-dimensional network can enhance water transportation and evaporation rates through channels of GBnM laminates and such layered structures have been applied in various water purification technologies. Herein, this mini-review summarizes recent progress in the synthesis of GBnMs and their applications in water treatment technologies, specifically, nanofiltration (NF) and solar desalination (SD). Finally, personal perspectives on the challenges and future directions of this promising nanomaterial are also provided.

Modulation of MoS2 interlayer dynamics by in situ N-doped carbon intercalation for high-rate sodium-ion half/full batteries.

In comparison with lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have been proposed as an alternative for large-scale energy storage. However, finding an anode material that can overcome the sluggish electrochemical reaction kinetics and fast capacity fading caused by large volume expansion during cycling is problematic. In this study, the intercalation technique for nitrogen-doped carbon layers is implemented for the molybdenum disulfide (MoS2/NC) structure to improve the rate and cycling stability of SIBs by increasing the diffusion rate of sodium ions and mitigating excessive volume structural expansion. The as-synthesized MoS2/NC anode has a high discharge specific capacity of 546 mA h g-1 at 1 A g-1 after 160 cycles, as well as a high rate and stable cycle performance of 406 mA h g-1 at 10 A g-1 after 1000 cycles. Upon coupling with a high-voltage Na3V2(PO4)2O2F cathode, the sodium-ion full battery displays high specific energies of 78.57 W h kg-1 and 49.70 W h kg-1 at specific powers of 193.76 W kg-1 and 3756.80 W kg-1, respectively, with commercialization potential demonstrated.