High performance sulfur/carbon cathode for Na-S battery enabled by electrocatalytic effect of Sn-doped In2S3.

Room-temperature sodium-sulfur (RT Na-S) batteries have been attracting enormous interests due to their low-cost, high capacity and environmental benignity. However, the shuttle effect and the sluggish electrochemical reaction activity of sodium polysulfides (NaPSs) seriously restrict their practical application. To solve these issues, we rationally designed an advanced Sn-doped In2S3/S/C cathode for RT Na-S batteries by magnetron sputtering in this work, which exhibited a high reversible capacity (1663.5 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1) and excellent cycling performance (902.9 mAh g-1 after 50 cycles). The in situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy indicated that the Sn-doped In2S3 coating can accelerate charge-transfer kinetics and facilitate the diffusion of Na+. Furthermore, theoretical calculation revealed that doping of Sn into In2S3 can reduce the energy band gap, thus accelerating the electron transfer and promoting the electrochemical conversion of active species. It is demonstrated that adjusting the electronic structure is a reliable method to improve the electrocatalytic effect of catalyst and significantly improve the performance of S cathode in RT Na-S batteries.

Phosphorus-Based Materials for High-Performance Alkaline Metal Ion Batteries: Progress and Prospect.

Alkaline metal-ion batteries (AIBs) such as lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), sodium-ion batteries (NIBs), and potassium-ion batteries (KIBs) are potential energy storage systems. Currently, although LIBs are widely used in consumer electronics and electric vehicles, the electrochemical performance, safety, and cost of current AIBs are still unable to meet the needs for many future applications, such as large-scale energy storage, due to the low theoretical capacity of cathode/anode materials, flammability of electrolytes and limited Li resources. It is thus imperative to develop new materials to improve the properties of AIBs. Several promising cathodes, anodes, and electrolytes have been developed and among the new battery materials, phosphorus-based (P-based) materials have shown great promise. For example, P and metal phosphide anodes have high theoretical capacity, resource abundance, and environmental friendliness boding well for future high-energy-density AIBs. Besides, phosphate cathode materials have the advantages of low cost, high safety, high voltage, and robust stability, and P-based materials like LiPF6 and lithium phosphorus oxynitride are widely used electrolytes. In this paper, the latest development of P-based materials in AIBs, challenges, effective solutions, and new directions are discussed.

Catalytic Effects of Electrodes and Electrolytes in Metal-Sulfur Batteries: Progress and Prospective.

Metal-sulfur (M-S) batteries are promising energy-storage devices due to their advantages such as large energy density and the low cost of the raw materials. However, M-S batteries suffer from many drawbacks. Endowing the electrodes and electrolytes with the proper catalytic activity is crucial to improve the electrochemical properties of M-S batteries. With regard to the S cathodes, advanced electrode materials with enhanced electrocatalytic effects can capture polysulfides and accelerate electrochemical conversion and, as for the metal anodes, the proper electrode materials can provide active sites for metal deposition to reduce the deposition potential barrier and control the electroplating or stripping process. Moreover, an advanced electrolyte with desirable design can catalyze electrochemical reactions on the cathode and anode in high-performance M-S batteries. In this review, recent progress pertaining to the design of advanced electrode materials and electrolytes with the proper catalytic effects is summarized. The current progress of S cathodes and metal anodes in different types of M-S batteries are discussed and future development directions are described. The objective is to provide a comprehensive review on the current state-of-the-art S cathodes and metal anodes in M-S batteries and research guidance for future development of this important class of batteries.

A lignin-derived flexible porous carbon material for highly efficient polyselenide and sodium regulation.

Low-cost and sustainable sodium-selenium (Na-Se) batteries are promising energy storage media for the advancement of electromobility and large-scale energy storage. However, the sluggish kinetics of Se cathodes and the unpredictable metal electrodeposition of Na at the anode remain critical challenges. In this work, we reveal the catalytic effect of atomic Fe on the conversion of polyselenides (SPSs) to Na2Se by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Then, we prepare a lignin-derived flexible porous carbon matrix loaded with atomic Fe (Fe-BC/rGO, BC: lignin-derived porous carbon material; rGO: reduced graphene oxide) as a Se host to further verify the DFT calculation results. Due to the encapsulation of Se into the porous carbon matrix, the catalytic effect of atomic Fe on the conversion of SPSs to Na2Se and the continuous electron/ion transportation path, the prepared Se@Fe-BC/rGO cathode can deliver a high reversible capacity of 213 mA h g-1 at 2 A g-1, which is much better than the electrochemical performance of a Se cathode without atomic Fe loading (Se@BC/rGO). In addition, we further reveal the advantageous effect of the presence of the Fe-BC/rGO film in regulating the interfacial Na electrodeposition at the anode. Due to the porous structure and the catalytic effect of atomic Fe, a very low nucleation overpotential of 15.3 mV is achieved at a current density of 1 mA cm-2, which is much lower than that of the BC/rGO film. Therefore, this work provides a low-cost and sustainable strategy for simultaneously solving the challenges of the Se cathode and the Na metal anode for future Na-Se batteries.

Sb nanosheet modified separator for Li-S batteries with excellent electrochemical performance.

An air-stable antimony (Sb) nanosheet modified separator (SbNs/separator) has been prepared by coating exfoliated Sb nanosheets (SbNs) successfully onto a pristine separator through a vacuum infiltration method. The as-prepared Li-S batteries using SbNs/separators exhibit much improved electrochemical performance compared to the ones using commercial separators. The coulombic efficiency (CE) of the Li-S battery using the SbNs/separator after the initial cycle is close to 100% at a current density of 0.1 A g-1, and 660 mA h g-1 capacity retained after 100 cycles. The rate capability of Li-S battery using SbNs/separator delivers a reversible capacity of 425 mA h g-1 when the current density increases to 1 A g-1. The improved electrochemical performance is mainly attributed to the following reasons. Firstly, the combination of physical adsorption and chemical bonding between SbNs and lithium polysulfides (LiPSs), which efficiently inhibits the shuttle phenomena of LiPSs. Secondly, the good electronic conductivity of SbNs improves the utilization of the adsorbed LiPSs, which benefits the capacity release of active materials. Lastly, the fast conversion kinetics of intermediate LiPSs caused by the catalytic effect from SbNs further suppresses the shuttle effect of LiPSs. The SbNs/separators exhibit a great potential for the future high-performance Li-S batteries.

Integrated Paper-Based Flexible Li-Ion Batteries Made by a Rod Coating Method.

Design and fabrication of flexible Li-ion batteries (FLIBs) with excellent electrochemical and structural stability via scalable fabrication techniques are important for their practical applications. A wide range of FLIBs with excellent flexibility have been reported. However, sophisticated designs and complex fabrication techniques are often used in fabricating FLIBS, making them difficult to be realized in industrial production. Here, we fabricate FLIBs with an integrated structure by assembling the LiFePO4 cathode, Li4Ti5O12 anode, graphene current collectors, and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) electrolyte all together on commercial printing paper via conventional and scalable Meyer rod coating. In the design, the commercial paper serves as a flexible substrate to enable good flexibility of the device, and the paper is coated twice with PVDF to avoid the short-circuit problem and create a strong binding to integrate the device. The resultant integrated FLIBs exhibit excellent internal structural stability and good electrochemical performance under cycling bending for 100 times.

A Freestanding and Long-Life Sodium-Selenium Cathode by Encapsulation of Selenium into Microporous Multichannel Carbon Nanofibers.

Selenium cathode has attracted more and more attention because of its comparable volumetric capacity but much higher electrical conductivity than sulfur cathode. Compared to Li-Se batteries, Na-Se batteries show many advantages, including the low cost of sodium resources and high volumetric capacity. However, Na-Se batteries still suffer from the shuttle effect of polyselenides and high volumetric expansion, resulting in the poor electrochemical performance. Herein, Se is impregnated into microporous multichannel carbon nanofibers (Se@MCNFs) thin film with high flexibility as a binder-free cathode material for Na-Se batteries. The fibrous unique structure of the Se@MCNFs is beneficial to alleviate the volume change of Se during cycling, improve the utilization of active material, and suppress the dissolution of polyselenides into electrolyte. The freestanding Se@MCNF thin-film electrode exhibits high discharge capacity (596 mA h g-1 at the 100th cycle at 0.1 A g-1 ) and excellent rate capability (379 mA h g-1 at 2 A g-1 ) for Na-Se batteries. In addition, it also shows long cycle life with a negligible capacity decay of 0.067% per cycle over 300 cycles at 0.5 A g-1 . This work demonstrates the possibility to develop high performance Na-Se batteries and flexible energy storage devices.

Binding S0.6 Se0.4 in 1D Carbon Nanofiber with CS Bonding for High-Performance Flexible Li-S Batteries and Na-S Batteries.

A one-step synthesis procedure is developed to prepare flexible S0.6 Se0.4 @carbon nanofibers (CNFs) electrode by coheating S0.6 Se0.4 powder with electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofiber papers at 600 °C. The obtained S0.6 Se0.4 @CNFs film can be used as cathode material for high-performance Li-S batteries and room temperature (RT) Na-S batteries directly. The superior lithium/sodium storage performance derives from its rational structure design, such as the chemical bonding between Se and S, the chemical bonding between S0.6 Se0.4 and CNFs matrix, and the 3D CNFs network. This easy one-step synthesis procedure provides a feasible route to prepare electrode materials for high-performance Li-S and RT Na-S batteries.

Highly Reversible and Ultrafast Sodium Storage in NaTi2(PO4)3 Nanoparticles Embedded in Nanocarbon Networks.

Sodium ion batteries (NIBs) have been considered as an alternative for Li ion batteries (LIBs). NaTi2(PO4)3 (denoted as NTP) is a superior anode material for NIBs. However, the poor electrochemical performance of NTP resulting from the low electronic conductivity prevents its application. Here, NTP nanoparticles embedded in carbon network (denoted as NTP/C) were fabricated using a simple soft-template method. This anode material exhibits superior electrochemical performance when used as anode electrodes for NIBs, including highly reversible capacity (108 mAh g(-1) at 100 C) for excellent rate performance and long cycle life (83 mAh g(-1) at 50 C after 6000 cycles). The excellent sodium storage property can be resulted from the synergistic effects of nanosized NTP, thinner carbon shell and the interconnected carbon network, leading to the low charge transfer resistance, the large surface area for electrolyte to soak in and enough void to buffer the volume variation during the repeated cycle.

A carbon coated NASICON structure material embedded in porous carbon enabling superior sodium storage performance: NaTi2(PO4)3 as an example.

Sodium super ion conductor (NASICON) type structure materials (e.g. Na3V2(PO4)3, NaTi2(PO4)3) have been considered as promising electrode materials for sodium-ion batteries (NIBs). However, the inherent poor electronic conductivity of the NASICON type structure materials owing to their poor electronic conductivity of phosphates leads to poor cyclability and rate capability. Here, we develop a general strategy to achieve high rate capability and long cycle life by preparing "double carbon coating" NASICON NaTi2(PO4)3 using a soft-chemical method. The obtained carbon-coated NaTi2(PO4)3 within the porous carbon matrix (denoted as NTP@C@PC) imparts a reversible capability of 103 mA h g(-1) at 5 C after 5000 cycles and a rate capability of 64 mA h g(-1) at 50 C for sodium storage. The high capacity, stable cyclability and excellent rate capability of the NTP@C@PC are attributed to the advantages of the special structure: the fast Na(+)/e(-) transfer in the nanocomposites, large surface area and mesoporous nature of the 3D porous carbon matrix that facilitate the electrolyte to soak in, an intimate interaction between the particles and the carbon matrix. In addition, the 3D porous carbon matrix could effectively accommodate the volume variation during a repeated sodiation/desodiation process.

Flexible copper-stabilized sulfur-carbon nanofibers with excellent electrochemical performance for Li-S batteries.

By rational design, we fabricated a flexible and free-standing copper-immobilized sulfur-porous carbon nanofiber (denoted as S@PCNFs-Cu) electrode by simply impregnating sulfur into electrospun derived Cu embedded porous carbon nanofibers (PCNFs-Cu). The PCNF film with a 3D interconnected structure is used as a conducting matrix to encapsulate sulfur. In addition, the introduction of Cu leads to the formation of a chemical bond between Cu and S, preventing the dissolution of polysulfide during cycling. The micropores and mesopores of PCNF hosts provide free space to accommodate the volume change of S and polysulfide. When used as a cathode material for Li-S batteries, the S@PCNFs-Cu (S content: 52 wt%) exhibits much better electrochemical performance compared to the Cu-free S@PCNF electrode. The S@PCNFs-Cu displays high reversible capacity (680 mA h g(-1) after 100 cycles at 50 mA g(-1)), excellent rate capability (415 mA h g(-1) at 1 A g(-1)) and super Coulombic efficiency of 100%. This strategy of stabilizing S with a small amount of copper nanoparticles can be a very promising method to prepare free-standing cathode material for high-performance Li-S batteries.

Carbon-Coated Germanium Nanowires on Carbon Nanofibers as Self-Supported Electrodes for Flexible Lithium-Ion Batteries.

A hybrid structure with carbon-coated germanium nanowires grown on the surface of carbon nanofibers is fabricated using an in situ vapor-liquid-solid process. It is used as a self-supported and flexible anode for Li-ion batteries.

Free-standing porous carbon nanofibers-sulfur composite for flexible Li-S battery cathode.

Flexible and free-standing sulphur/(PCNFs-CNT) composite (S@PCNFs-CNT) electrode was successfully prepared by infiltrating sulfur into microporous carbon nanofibers-carbon nanotube (PCNFs-CNT) composite. When used as a cathode material for Li-S batteries, the S@PCNFs-CNT exhibits much better cycle performance and rate performance compared to CNT-free S@PCNFs. It delivers a reversible capacity of 637 mA h g(-1) after 100 cycles at 50 mA g(-1) and a rate capability of 437 mA h g(-1) at 1 A g(-1). The improved electrochemical performance is attributed to synergistic effect of the 3D interconnected structure, the additive of CNT, and the uniform distribution of micropores (<2 nm) in the PCNFs-CNT matrix. Our results indicate the potential suitability of PCNFs-CNT for efficient, free-standing, and high-performance batteries.

Free-standing and binder-free sodium-ion electrodes with ultralong cycle life and high rate performance based on porous carbon nanofibers.

Free-standing and binder-free porous carbon nanofibers (P-CNFs) electrodes were prepared by pyrolysis of PAN-F127/DMF nanofibers via an electrospinning process as potential anodes for Na-ion batteries (NIB). The P-CNFs delivers a reversible capacity of 266 mA h g(-1) after 100 cycles at 0.2 C, corresponding to ~80% of the initial charge capacity. When cycled at a current density as high as 500 mA g(-1) (2 C), it still delivers a reversible capacity of ~140 mA h g(-1) after 1000 cycles. The improvement of electrochemical performance is attributed to the special design and microstructure of P-CNFs, which conferred a variety of advantages: hierarchical porous channels enabling short transport length for ions and electrons, 3D interconnected structure resulting in low contact resistances, good mechanical properties leading to the excellent morphology stability.