Synergetic Dual-Additive Electrolyte Enables Highly Stable Performance in Sodium Metal Batteries.

Sodium (Na)-metal batteries (SMBs) are considered one of the most promising candidates for the large-scale energy storage market owing to their high theoretical capacity (1,166 mAh g-1) and the abundance of Na raw material. However, the limited stability of electrolytes still hindered the application of SMBs. Herein, sulfolane (Sul) and vinylene carbonate (VC) are identified as effective dual additives that can largely stabilize propylene carbonate (PC)-based electrolytes, prevent dendrite growth, and extend the cycle life of SMBs. The cycling stability of the Na/NaNi0.68Mn0.22Co0.1O2 (NaNMC) cell with this dual-additive electrolyte is remarkably enhanced, with a capacity retention of 94% and a Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 99.9% over 600 cycles at a 5 C (750 mA g-1) rate. The superior cycling performance of the cells can be attributed to the homogenous, dense, and thin hybrid solid electrolyte interphase consisting of F- and S-containing species on the surface of both the Na metal anode and the NaNMC cathode by adding dual additives. Such unique interphases can effectively facilitate Na-ion transport kinetics and avoid electrolyte depletion during repeated cycling at a very high rate of 5 C. This electrolyte design is believed to result in further improvements in the performance of SMBs.

Investigating the impacts of climate change on hydroclimatic extremes in the Tar-Pamlico River basin, North Carolina.

Evaluating the forthcoming impacts of climate change is important for formulating efficient and flexible approaches to water resource management. General Circulation Models (GCMs) are primary tools that enable scientists to study both past and potential future climate changes, as well as their impacts on policies and actions. In this work, we quantify the future projected impacts of hydroclimatic extremes on the coastal, risk-prone Tar-Pamlico River basin in North Carolina using GCMs from the Sixth International Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). These models incorporate projected future societal development scenarios (Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, SSPs) as defined in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6). Specifically, we have utilized historical residential expansion data, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool Plus (SWAT+), the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), and the Interquartile Range (IQR) method for analyzing extremes from 2024 to 2100. Our findings include: (1) a trend toward wetter conditions is identified with an increase in flood events toward 2100; (2) projected increases in the severity of flood peaks are found, quantified by a rise of 21% compared to the 2000-2020 period; (3) downstream regions are forecast to experience severe droughts up to 2044; and (4) low-lying and coastal regions are found as particularly susceptible to higher flood peaks and more frequent drought events between 2045 and 2100. This work provides valuable insights into the anticipated shifts in natural disaster patterns and supports decision-makers and authorities in promoting adaptive strategies and sustainable policies to address challenges posed by future climate changes in the Tar-Pamlico region and throughout the state of North Carolina, United States.

Enhancing human resilience against climate change: Assessment of hydroclimatic extremes and sea level rise impacts on the eastern shore of Virginia, United States.

Quantifying the impacts of climate change on hydrological systems is crucial for developing adaptive strategies in water resources management. In this work, we quantify the future climate impacts on hydroclimatic extremes in the risk-prone, coastal, 15-m-above-sea-level Eastern Shore of Virginia (ESVA) region, utilizing the Sixth International Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) Assessment Report 6 (AR6) and General Circulation Models (GCMs). In addition, we incorporate historical data on demographics and disasters, land use land cover (LULC), Landsat imagery, and projected sea level rise (SLR) to better understand and highlight the correlation between hydroclimatic extremes and societal components in this region. The hydrological model Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), and Interquartile Range (IQR) method have been used to evaluate the intensity and frequency of projected climatic extremes, in which SLR projections under different greenhouse gas emission pathways are temporally and spatially quantified. Our findings include (1) a trend towards wetter conditions is found with an increase in flood events and up to an 8.9 % rise in the severity of flood peaks compared to the 2003-2020 period; (2) current coastal high-risk regions, identified using historical data for natural disasters, demographics, and LULC, are projected to be more susceptible to future climate impacts; and (3) low-lying coastal towns and regions are identified as currently highly vulnerable to coastal and SLR-induced flooding and are projected to become even more susceptible by 2100. This is the first effort that provides valuable scientific insights into anticipated shifts in future climate patterns, essential for natural hazards prevention in ESVA. It highlights the need for authorities and decision-makers to plan and implement adaptive strategies and sustainable policies for the ESVA region and other coastal areas across the United States.

Recent Applications of Langmuir-Blodgett Technique in Battery Research.

The Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique, in which monolayers are commonly transferred from a liquid/gas interface to a solid surface, allows convenient fabrication of highly ordered thin films with molecular-level precision. This method is widely applicable to substances ranging from organic molecules to nanomaterials. Therefore, LB methods have provided a critical toolbox for researchers to engineer nanoarchitectures. The LB fabrication process is also compatible with numerous substrate materials over large areas, which is advantageous for practical application. Despite its wide applicability, the LB strategy has not been extensively employed in battery studies. The versatility of LB film, along with the accumulated knowledge associated with this technique, makes it a promising platform for promoting battery chemistry evolution. This Review summarizes recent advances of LB methods for high-performance battery development, including preparation of electrode materials, fabrication of functional layers, and battery diagnosis and thus illustrates the high utility of LB approaches in battery research.

Development of Vang Danh anthracite as a cost-effective anode for sodium-ion batteries through a heat-treatment process.

This study focuses on the effects of the chemical process and heating time at 900 °C on pristine anthracite coal (provided by Vang Danh coal, Quang Ninh province, Vietnam) and explores its structure and electrochemical performance when used as an anode in Na-ion batteries. After chemical treatment with NaOH and H2SO4, the impurity content in the raw material decreased significantly (e.g., ash content dropped from 4.4% to 0.9%, etc.). The interspacing between the graphene layers in the anthracite structure also increased after the heat treatment. Besides, on extending the heating time, the anthracite structure became more disordered than the samples heated for shorter times. Therefore, the intercalation ability of Na+ ions in the anthracite structure increased, and the sample heated at 900 °C for 6 hours exhibited the highest reversible capacity of up to 160 mA h g-1 with adequate capacity retention after 100 cycles at C/10 rate.

Synthesis of Water-Dispersible Single-Layer CoAl-Carbonate Layered Double Hydroxide.

Despite extensive study on single-layer layered double hydroxides (SL-LDHs) with NO3- counterions, SL-LDHs with CO32- counterions (CO32- SL-LDHs) have never been prepared before. Herein, a CoAl-CO32- SL-LDH which stays stable in water and powdery state is first synthesized using ethylene glycol as a reaction medium. The SL-LDH, with thickness of ∼0.85 nm, is composed of one Co(Al)O6 layer sandwiched between two CO32- layers. The SL-LDH powder shows high specific surface area (∼289 m2/g) and excellent electrocatalytic oxygen evolution efficiency. This work provides the first simple way to prepare CO32- SL-LDHs and will open an avenue for synthesizing other SL-LDHs.