A Customized Strategy Realizes Stable Cycle of Large-Capacity and High-Voltage Layered Cathode for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

High-voltage P2-NaNiMnO layered oxide cathode exhibits significant potential for sodium-ion batteries, owing to the elevated operating voltage and theoretical energy density beyond lithium iron phosphate, but the large-volume phase transition is the devil. Currently, this type cathode still suffers from stability-capacity trade-off dilemma. Herein, a concept of customized strategy via multiple rock-forming elements trace doping is presented to address the mentioned issue.

Strong Covalent Metal-Ligand Interaction Enables a Fast Kinetic and Structurally Stable Na-Ion Layered Cathode.

Anionic redox chemistry has attracted increasing attention for the improvement in the reversible capacity and energy density of cathode materials in Li/Na-ion batteries. However, adverse electrochemical behaviors, such as voltage hysteresis and sluggish kinetics resulting from weak metal-ligand interactions, commonly occur with anionic redox reactions. Currently, the mechanistic investigation driving these issues still remains foggy.

Intercepting Dendrite Growth With a Heterogeneous Solid Electrolyte for Long-Life All-Solid-State Lithium Metal Batteries.

The application of lithium metal anode in all-solid-state batteries has the potential to achieve both high energy density and safety performance. However, the presence of serious dendrite issues hinders this potential. Here, the ion transport pathways and orientation of dendrite growth are regulated by utilizing the differences of ionic conductivity in heterogeneous electrolytes.

High-Voltage Long-Cycling All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries with High-Valent-Element-Doped Halide Electrolytes.

All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) have garnered considerable attention as promising candidates for next-generation energy storage systems due to their potentially simultaneously enhanced safety capacities and improved energy densities. However, the solid future still calls for materials with high ionic conductivity, electrochemical stability, and favorable interfacial compatibility. In this study, we present a series of halide solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) utilizing a doping strategy with highly valent elements, demonstrating an outstanding combination of enhanced ionic conductivity and oxidation stability.

Nanoengineering of Porous 2D Structures with Tunable Fluid Transport Behavior for Exceptional HO Electrosynthesis.

Precision nanoengineering of porous two-dimensional structures has emerged as a promising avenue for finely tuning catalytic reactions. However, understanding the pore-structure-dependent catalytic performance remains challenging, given the lack of comprehensive guidelines, appropriate material models, and precise synthesis strategies. Here, we propose the optimization of two-dimensional carbon materials through the utilization of mesopores with 5-10 nm diameter to facilitate fluid acceleration, guided by finite element simulations.

Self-Assembly Monolayer Inspired Stable Artificial Solid Electrolyte Interphase Design for Next-Generation Lithium Metal Batteries.

Lithium metal is widely regarded as the "ultimate" anode for energy-dense Li batteries, but its high reactivity and delicate interface make it prone to dendrite formation, limiting its practical use. Inspired by self-assembled monolayers on metal surfaces, we propose a facile yet effective strategy to stabilize Li metal anodes by creating an artificial solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Our method involves dip-coating Li metal in MPDMS to create an SEI layer that is rich in inorganic components, allowing uniform Li plating/stripping under a low overpotential over 500 cycles in carbonate electrolytes.

Ultrafast materials synthesis and manufacturing techniques for emerging energy and environmental applications.

Energy and environmental issues have attracted increasing attention globally, where sustainability and low-carbon emissions are seriously considered and widely accepted by government officials. In response to this situation, the development of renewable energy and environmental technologies is urgently needed to complement the usage of traditional fossil fuels. While a big part of advancement in these technologies relies on materials innovations, new materials discovery is limited by sluggish conventional materials synthesis methods, greatly hindering the advancement of related technologies.