In Situ Formed Gradient Composite Solid Electrolyte Interphase Layer for Stable Lithium Metal Anodes.

Lithium (Li) metal anode (LMA) is highly considered as a desirable anode material for next-generation rechargeable batteries because of its high specific capacity and the lowest reduction potential. However, uncontrollable growth of Li dendrites, large volume change, and unstable interfaces between LMA and electrolyte hinder its practical application. Herein, a novel in situ formed artificial gradient composite solid electrolyte interphase (GCSEI) layer for highly stable LMAs is proposed. The inner rigid inorganics (Li2 S and LiF) with high Li+ ion affinity and high electron tunneling barrier are beneficial to achieve homogeneous Li plating, while the flexible polymers (poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(vinylidene fluoride)) on the surface of GCSEI layer can accommodate the volume change. Furthermore, the GCSEI layer demonstrates fast Li+ ion transport capability and increased Li+ ion diffusion kinetics. Accordingly, the modified LMA enables excellent cycling stability (over 1000 h at 3 mA cm-2 ) in the symmetric cell using carbonate electrolyte, and the corresponding Li-GCSEI||LiNi0.8 Co0.1 Mn0.1 O2 full cell demonstrates 83.4% capacity retention after 500 cycles. This work offers a new strategy for the design of dendrite-free LMAs for practical applications.

Pre-intercalation of Ammonium Ions in Layered δ-MnO2 Nanosheets for High-Performance Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries.

Layered manganese dioxide is a promising cathode candidate for aqueous Zn-ion batteries. However, the narrow interlayer spacing, inferior intrinsic electronic conductivity and poor structural stability still limit its practical application. Herein, we report a two-step strategy to incorporate ammonium ions into manganese dioxide (named as AMO) nanosheets as a cathode for boosted Zn ion storage. K+ -intercalated δ-MnO2 nanosheets (KMO) grown on carbon cloth are chosen as the self-involved precursor. Of note, ammonium ions could replace K+ ions via a facile hydrothermal reaction to enlarge the lattice space and form hydrogen-bond networks. Compared with KMO, the structural stability and the ion transfer kinetics of the layered AMO are enhanced. As expected, the obtained AMO cathode exhibits remarkable electrochemical properties in terms of high reversible capacity, decent rate performance and superior cycling stability over 10000 cycles.

Interlayer-Expanded Titanate Hierarchical Hollow Spheres Embedded in Carbon Nanofibers for Enhanced Na Storage.

Layered titanates are of great potential for hybrid Na-ion capacitors (NICs). However, the poor conductivity and sluggish reaction kinetics are the critical issues for the practical applications of titanates. Herein, an approach to synthesize magnesium titanate hierarchical hollow spheres embedded in carbon nanofibers (denoted as MTO@C) by electrospinning coupled with interlayer engineering processes is reported. 3D conductive carbon framework helps to enhance the electronic conductivity for binder-free electrode, while the expanded interlayer spacing of titanate hierarchical hollow spheres via the incorporation of Mg2+ ions help to reduce the charge transfer resistance and expose more active sites for Na storage. The interconnected hollow spheres can effectively accommodate the volume expansion during the repeated cycles. The results have shown that the MTO@C electrode can deliver a high capacity of 136 mAh g-1 at 1 A g-1 with long lifespan. The assembled NIC device with MTO@C as anode and active carbon as cathode produces a high energy density of 110.3 Wh kg-1 at 112 W kg-1 and a high power density of 5380 W kg-1 at 41.9 Wh kg-1 , together with a high capacity retention of 80% after 5000 cycles.

Atomically Dispersed Cu in Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework Nanoflake Array for Dendrite-Free Zn Metal Anode.

Aqueous Zn metal batteries (AZMBs) have been considered as a promising alternative to the existing Li-ion batteries. Nevertheless, the large-scale application of the AZMBs is restricted by the dendrite formation and side reactions within the Zn metal anodes (ZMAs) during cycling. Herein, an atomically dispersed Cu in leaf-like Zn-coordinated zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-L) nanoflakes on Ti mesh (CuZIF-L@TM) as ZMA host is developed. The 3D conductive network formed by the interconnected ZIF-L nanoflakes can reduce the local current density and homogenize the electric field distribution. Moreover, experimental data and theoretical calculations reveal the Cu single atoms within the ZIF-L can serve as the zincophilic sites to facilitate the Zn deposition. As expected, the CuZIF-L@TM host enables a homogeneous Zn deposition on the surface without dendrites. The resultant CuZIF-L@TM/Zn electrode shows stable Zn plating/stripping over 1100 h at 1 mA cm-2 with a low voltage hysteresis of about 50 mV. As a proof of concept, a full cell based on the designed CuZIF-L@TM/Zn anode shows a stable cycling performance over 1000 cycles.

Self-Supported Transition Metal-Based Nanoarrays for Efficient Energy Storage.

Rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors are currently considered as promising electrochemical energy storage (EES) systems to address the energy and environment issues. Self-supported transition metal (Ni, Co, Mn, Mo, Cu, V)-based materials are promising electrodes for EES devices, which offer highly efficient charge transfer kinetics. This review summarizes the latest development of transition metal-based materials with self-supported structures for EES systems. Special focus has been taken on the synthetic methods, the selection of substrates, architectures and chemical compositions of different self-supported nanoarrays in energy storage systems. Finally, the challenges and opportunities of these materials for future development in this field are briefly discussed. We believe that the advancement in self-supported electrode materials would pave the way towards next-generation EES.

Construction of Ni-Co-Fe Hydr(oxy)oxide@Ni-Co Layered Double Hydroxide Yolk-Shelled Microrods for Enhanced Oxygen Evolution.

The exploration of earth-abundant and efficient electrocatalysts toward the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is critical for sustainable energy storage and conversion devices. In this work, we report a self-engaged strategy to fabricate a yolk-shelled OER electrocatalyst. Starting with a metal-organic framework, Co-Fe layered double hydroxide (LDH)@zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) yolk-shelled structures are formed in one step. Afterwards, these ZIF-67 building blocks are transformed into Ni-Co LDH nanocages to form the Ni-Co-Fe hydr(oxy)oxide@Ni-Co LDH yolk-shelled microrods (NiCoFe-HO@NiCo-LDH YSMRs) through an ion-exchange reaction. Owing to the structural and compositional merits, the NiCoFe-HO@NiCo-LDH YSMR electrocatalyst exhibits an overpotential of 278 mV to reach the current density of 10 mA cm-2 , a small Tafel slope of 49.7 mV dec-1 , and good stability in alkaline media.

Formation of Super-Assembled TiOx /Zn/N-Doped Carbon Inverse Opal Towards Dendrite-Free Zn Anodes.

Uncontrolled growth of Zn dendrites and side reactions are the major restrictions for the commercialization of Zn metal anodes. Herein, we develop a TiOx /Zn/N-doped carbon inverse opal (denoted as TZNC IO) host to regulate the Zn deposition. Amorphous TiOx and Zn/N-doped carbon can serve as the zincophilic nucleation sites to prevent the parasitic reactions. More importantly, the highly ordered IO host homogenizes the local current density and electric field to stabilize Zn deposition. Furthermore, the three-dimensional open networks could regulate Zn ion flux to enable stable cycling performance at large current densities. Owing to the abundant zincophilic sites and the open structure, granular Zn deposits could be realized. As expected, the TZNC IO host guarantees the steady Zn plating/stripping with a long-term stability over 450 h at the current density of 1 mA cm-2 . As a proof-of-concept demonstration, a TZNC@Zn||V2 O5 full cell shows long lifespan over 2000 cycles at 5.0 A g-1 .

Guiding Uniform Li Plating/Stripping through Lithium-Aluminum Alloying Medium for Long-Life Li Metal Batteries.

The uncontrolled growth of Li dendrites upon cycling might result in low coulombic efficiency and severe safety hazards. Herein, a lithiophilic binary lithium-aluminum alloy layer, which was generated through an in situ electrochemical process, was utilized to guide the uniform metallic Li nucleation and growth, free from the formation of dendrites. Moreover, the formed LiAl alloy layer can function as a Li reservoir to compensate the irreversible Li loss, enabling long-term stability. The protected Li electrode shows superior cycling over 1700 h in a Li|Li symmetric cell.

A Flexible Solid Electrolyte Interphase Layer for Long-Life Lithium Metal Anodes.

Lithium (Li) metal is a promising anode material for high-energy density batteries. However, the unstable and static solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) can be destroyed by the dynamic Li plating/stripping behavior on the Li anode surface, leading to side reactions and Li dendrites growth. Herein, we design a smart Li polyacrylic acid (LiPAA) SEI layer high elasticity to address the dynamic Li plating/stripping processes by self-adapting interface regulation, which is demonstrated by in situ AFM. With the high binding ability and excellent stability of the LiPAA polymer, the smart SEI can significantly reduce the side reactions and improve battery safety markedly. Stable cycling of 700 h is achieved in the LiPAA-Li/LiPAA-Li symmetrical cell. The innovative strategy of self-adapting SEI design is broadly applicable, providing opportunities for use in Li metal anodes.

Reshaping Lithium Plating/Stripping Behavior via Bifunctional Polymer Electrolyte for Room-Temperature Solid Li Metal Batteries.

High-energy rechargeable Li metal batteries are hindered by dendrite growth due to the use of a liquid electrolyte. Solid polymer electrolytes, as promising candidates to solve the above issue, are expected to own high Li ion conductivity without sacrificing mechanical strength, which is still a big challenge to realize. In this study, a bifunctional solid polymer electrolyte exactly having these two merits is proposed with an interpenetrating network of poly(ether-acrylate) (ipn-PEA) and realized via photopolymerization of ion-conductive poly(ethylene oxide) and branched acrylate. The ipn-PEA electrolyte with facile processing capability integrates high mechanical strength (ca. 12 GPa) with high room-temperature ionic conductance (0.22 mS cm-1), and significantly promotes uniform Li plating/stripping. Li metal full cells assembled with ipn-PEA electrolyte and cathodes within 4.5 V vs Li+/Li operate effectively at a rate of 5 C and cycle stably at a rate of 1 C at room temperature. Because of its fabrication simplicity and compelling characteristics, the bifunctional ipn-PEA electrolyte reshapes the feasibility of room-temperature solid-state Li metal batteries.

Decoration of Ag Species into Reduced Graphene Oxide Foam as a Superelastic and Robust Host toward Stable Zn Metal Anodes under Dwell-Fatigue Condition.

Deep-sea equipment usually operates under dwell-fatigue condition, which means the equipped energy storage devices must survive under the changing pressure. Special mechanical designs should be considered to maintain the electrochemical performance of electrodes under this extreme condition. In this work, an effective assembly strategy is proposed to accommodate the dwell-fatigue loading using Ag decorated reduced graphene oxide (rGO) foam (denoted as AGF) as a superelastic and robust Zn host. The wet-press assembly process enables the formation of highly porous and robust framework. The strong synergetic effect between rGO and Ag further guarantees AGF's superelasticity and ultrahigh mechanical strength. Meanwhile, the homogeneously distributed Ag species on the rGO sheets act as zincophilic sites to effectively facilitate Zn plating. Furthermore, AGF offers enough space to address the expansion during the charge and discharge cycles. As expected, the symmetrical cell using this AGF@Zn host demonstrates a long lifespan over 400 h at a depth-of-discharge of 50%. It is worth mentioning that the superelastic AGF host realizes stable Zn plating/stripping under varying pressures.

Surface and Interface Engineering Strategies for MoS2 Towards Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution.

Water splitting driven by renewable energy sources is an environmentally friendly and sustainable way to produce hydrogen as an ideal energy source in the future. Electrocatalysts can promote the water splitting performance at the both ends. Therefore, the design of cost-effective, high-performance electrocatalysis is a key factor in promoting water decomposition and renewable energy conversion. Among candidates, layered molybdenum disulfide (MoS2 ) is considered as a most promising electrocatalyst to replace Pt for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Surface atomic engineering and interface engineering can induce new physicochemical properties for MoS2 to greatly enhance HER activity. In this report, we summarize the latest improvement strategies and research progress to improve the catalytic activity of MoS2 -based material catalysts through the surface and interface atomic and molecular engineering, thus effectively improving HER process. In addition, some unsolved problems in the large-scale application of modified MoS2 catalyst are also discussed.

Confining Sn nanoparticles in interconnected N-doped hollow carbon spheres as hierarchical zincophilic fibers for dendrite-free Zn metal anodes.

We developed a three-dimensional hybrid fiber host consisting of interconnected N-doped hollow carbon spheres embedded with Sn nanoparticles (denoted as Sn@NHCF) for Zn metal anodes in high-performance Zn metal batteries. Experimental observations and density functional theory calculation reveal that the zincophilic Sn nanoparticles and N-doped carbons enable the homogeneous Zn deposition on the interior and exterior surfaces of the hollow fibers. Moreover, the hierarchical hollow fiber network effectively reduces the structural stress during the plating/stripping process. As a result, the developed Sn@NHCF host exhibits remarkable electrochemical properties in terms of high Coulombic efficiency, low voltage hysteresis, and prolonged cycling stability without dendrite formation. Moreover, a full cell based on the designed Sn@NHCF-Zn composite anode and a V2O5 cathode demonstrates superior rate capability and stable cycle life. This work provides a new strategy for the design of dendrite-free Zn anodes for practical applications.

Design and Synthesis of Hollow Nanostructures for Electrochemical Water Splitting.

Electrocatalytic water splitting using renewable energy is widely considered as a clean and sustainable way to produce hydrogen as an ideal energy fuel for the future. Electrocatalysts are indispensable elements for large-scale water electrolysis, which can efficiently accelerate electrochemical reactions occurring at both ends. Benefitting from high specific surface area, well-defined void space, and tunable chemical compositions, hollow nanostructures can be applied as promising candidates of direct electrocatalysts or supports for loading internal or external electrocatalysts. Herein, some recent progress in the structural design of micro-/nanostructured hollow materials as advanced electrocatalysts for water splitting is summarized. First, the design principles and corresponding strategies toward highly effective hollow electrocatalysts for oxygen/hydrogen evolution reactions are highlighted. Afterward, an overview of current reports about hollow electrocatalysts with diverse architectural designs and functionalities is given, including direct hollow electrocatalysts with single-shelled, multi-shelled, or open features and heterostructured electrocatalysts based on hollow hosts. Finally, some future research directions of hollow electrocatalysts for water splitting are discussed based on personal perspectives.

Ternary-salt solid polymer electrolyte for high-rate and long-life lithium metal batteries.

A ternary-salt solid polymer electrolyte (TS-SPE) consisting of LiPF6-LiTFSI-LiFSI salts and poly(1,3-dioxolane) is created by in situ polymerization. The TS-SPE possesses high ionic conductivity, high Li+ ion transference number, and stable SEI with low interfacial impedance, thereby realizing excellent rate performance and long-life stability in Li metal batteries.

Polymer Zwitterion-Based Artificial Interphase Layers for Stable Lithium Metal Anodes.

Lithium (Li) metal batteries are promising future rechargeable batteries with high-energy density as the Li metal anode (LMA) possesses a high specific capacity and the lowest potential. However, the commercial application of the LMA has been hindered by a low Coulombic efficiency and dendrite growth, which are related to the unstable interphase with poor Li+ ion transport. Herein, we report novel polymer zwitterion-based artificial interphase layers (AILs) with improved Li+ ion transport and high stability for long-life LMAs. Benefitting from the unique zwitterion effect within the polymer zwitterion-based AILs, a high Li+ ion transference number (0.81) and a good ionic conductivity (0.75 × 10-4 S cm-1) can be realized simultaneously at the interface. By regulating the weight ratio of the sulfonate group and the phosphate group in polymer zwitterion-based AILs, the modified LMA enables long-term Li plating/stripping for 1400 h at 1 mA cm-2 and stable cycling in a full cell. This interfacial engineering concept could shed light on the development of safe LMAs.

Lotus-Root-Like Carbon Fibers Embedded with Ni-Co Nanoparticles for Dendrite-Free Lithium Metal Anodes.

The growth of lithium (Li) dendrites and the huge volume change are the critical issues for the practical applications of Li-metal anodes. In this work, a spatial control strategy is proposed to address the above challenges using lotus-root-like Ni-Co hollow prisms@carbon fibers (NCH@CFs) as the host. The homogeneously distributed bimetallic Ni-Co particles on the N-doped carbon fibers serve as nucleation sites to effectively reduce the overpotential for Li nucleation. Furthermore, the 3D conductive network can alter the electric field. More importantly, the hierarchical lotus-root-like hollow fibers provide sufficient void space to withstand the volume expansion during Li deposition. These structural features guide the uniform Li nucleation and non-dendritic growth. As a result, the NCH@CFs host enables a very stable Li metal anode with a low voltage hysteresis during repeated Li plating/stripping for 1200 h at a current density of 1 mA cm-2 .

Advanced pillared designs for two-dimensional materials in electrochemical energy storage.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted increased attention as advanced electrodes in electrochemical energy storage owing to their thin nature and large specific surface area. However, limited interlayer spacing confines the mass and ion transport within the layers, resulting in poor rate performance. Considerable efforts have been made to deal with this intrinsic problem of pristine 2D materials. Among them, interlayer engineering through pillared designs offers abundant electrochemical active sites and promotes ion diffusion. Synergetic effects between incorporated species and 2D hosts offer much better conductivity and surface modification. As a result, 2D materials with advanced pillared designs demonstrate great enhancement of specific capacity/capacitance and rate performance. Herein, we summarize the recent progress of pillared 2D materials in relation to the intercalated species. Moreover, we highlight their typical applications in lithium-ion storage and beyond to provide some insights on future trends towards this research area.

Recent progress of Ni-Fe layered double hydroxide and beyond towards electrochemical water splitting.

The electrochemical water splitting process including the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is considered as one of the most promising methods for high-purity hydrogen production. Ni-Fe based compounds, especially Ni-Fe layered double hydroxide (LDH), have become highly efficient electrocatalysts to expedite the above reactions. During the last decade, great progress has been witnessed in the development of Ni-Fe based electrocatalysts. Diverse regulatory strategies such as morphology modulation, composition control, and defect engineering have been employed to optimize their electrochemical performances for water splitting. In addition, the family of Ni-Fe based compounds has been expanded from LDHs to alloys, sulfides, phosphides and so forth. Deep experimental investigations and theoretical studies have also been carried out to reveal the intrinsic origin of the superior electrocatalytic performances. In this review, we summarise the recent development of Ni-Fe based compounds for electrochemical water splitting with high efficiency. Special focus has been placed on the design principle and synthetic strategies of Ni-Fe based compounds. In the end, remaining challenges and future research directions are briefly discussed.

Triboelectric Nanogenerator-Enabled Dendrite-Free Lithium Metal Batteries.

Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are prominent among next-generation energy-storage systems because of their high energy density. Unfortunately, the commercial application of LMBs is hindered by the dendrite growth issue during the charging process. Herein, we report that the triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG)-based pulse output with a novel waveform and frequency has restrained the formation of dendrites in LMBs. The waveform and operation frequency of TENG can be regulated by TENG-designed and smart power management circuits. By regulating the waveform and frequency of the TENG-based pulse output, the pulse duration becomes shorter than the lithium dendrite formation time at any current of pulse waveform, and lithium ions can replenish in the entire electrode surface during rest periods, eliminating concentration polarization. Therefore, the optimized TENG-based charging strategy can improve the Coulombic efficiency of lithium plating/stripping and realize homogeneous lithium plating in LMBs. This TENG-based charging technology provides an innovative strategy to address the Li dendrite growth issues in LMBs, and accelerates the application of TENG-based energy collection systems.