constructed polymer-layer-modified solid electrolyte enables high-performance all-solid-state batteries.

Side reactions between electrolyte and anode hinder the application of solid-state batteries. Here, a polymer-containing composite solid-state electrolyte (LiPSCl@PCSSE) was obtained through polymerization on LiPSCl. The novel electrolyte was indicated to inhibit side reactions, and the pouch cell showed excellent performance, demonstrating its practical application owing to the employment of LiPSCl@PCSSE.

Ion-Sieving Separator Functionalized by Natural Mineral Coating toward Ultrastable Zn Metal Anodes.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) exhibit promising prospects in becoming large-scale energy storage systems due to environmental friendliness, high security, and low cost. However, the growth of Zn dendrites and side reactions remain heady obstacles for the practical application of AZIBs. To solve these challenges, a functionalized Janus separator is successfully constructed by coating halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) on glass fiber (GF).

Unlocking Ultrahigh Initial Coulombic Efficiency of MXene Anode via Presodiation and Electrolyte Optimization.

The low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) greatly hinders the practical application of MXenes in sodium-ion batteries. Herein, theoretical calculations confirm that -F and -OH terminations as well as the tetramethylammonium ion (TMA) intercalator in sediment TiCT (s-TiCT) MXene possess strong interaction with Na, which impedes Na desorption during the charging process and results in low ICE. Consequently, Na-intercalated sediment TiCT (Na-s-TiCT) is constructed through NaS·9HO treatment of s-TiCT.

2D Ultrathin Titanium Nitride Nanosheets as Separator Coatings for Li-S Batteries.

Transition metal nitrides (TMNs) are affirmed to be an appealing candidate for boosting the performance of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries due to their excellent conductivity, strong interaction with sulfur species, and the effective catalytic ability for conversion of polysulfides. However, the traditional bulk TMNs are difficult to achieve large active surface area and fast transport channels for electrons/ions simultaneously. Here, a 2D ultrathin geometry of titanium nitride (TiN) is realized by a facile topochemical conversion strategy, which can not only serve as an interconnected conductive platform but also expose abundant catalytic active sites.

Fast Ionic Conducting Hydroxyapatite Solid Electrolyte Interphase Enables Ultra-Stable Zinc Metal Anodes.

Zn metal has been extensively utilized as an anode in aqueous zinc-ion batteries attributed to its affordable cost and superior theoretical capacity. Nevertheless, the presence of dendrites and undesirable side reactions poses challenges to its widespread commercialization. To address these issues, herein, a surface coating composed of hydroxyapatite (HAP) was developed on the Zn anode to create an artificial solid electrolyte interphase.

Freestanding and Flexible Interfacial Layer Enables Bottom-Up Zn Deposition Toward Dendrite-Free Aqueous Zn-Ion Batteries.

Aqueous rechargeable zinc ion batteries are regarded as a competitive alternative to lithium-ion batteries because of their distinct advantages of high security, high energy density, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, deep-seated problems including Zn dendrite and adverse side reactions severely impede the practical application. In this work, we proposed a freestanding Zn-electrolyte interfacial layer composed of multicapsular carbon fibers (MCFs) to regulate the plating/stripping behavior of Zn anodes.

Facile Synthesis of Hybrid Anodes with Enhanced Lithium-Storage Performance Realized by a "Synergistic Effect".

Alloying-type anodes including Si- and Sn-based materials are considered the most exploitable anodes for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. However, problems of poor kinetics properties and structural failures such as grain pulverization and coarsening hinder their large-scale application. Herein, SnO/Si@graphite hybrid anodes, with nano-SnO and nano-Si thoroughly mixed with each other and loaded onto graphite flakes, have been prepared by a facile ball milling method.

Electrochemical Performance Enhancement of Micro-Sized Porous Si by Integrating with Nano-Sn and Carbonaceous Materials.

Silicon is investigated as one of the most prospective anode materials for next generation lithium ion batteries due to its superior theoretical capacity (3580 mAh g), but its commercial application is hindered by its inferior dynamic property and poor cyclic performance. Herein, we presented a facile method for preparing silicon/tin@graphite-amorphous carbon (Si/Sn@G-C) composite through hydrolyzing of SnCl on etched Fe-Si alloys, followed by ball milling mixture and carbon pyrolysis reduction processes. Structural characterization indicates that the nano-Sn decorated porous Si particles are coated by graphite and amorphous carbon.

Dual Immobilization of SnO Nanoparticles by N-Doped Carbon and TiO for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes.

The grain aggregation engendered kinetics failure is regarded as the main reason for the electrochemical decay of nanosized anode materials. Herein, we proposed a dual immobilization strategy to suppress the migration and aggregation of SnO nanoparticles and corresponding lithiation products through constructing SnO/TiO@PC composites. The N-doped carbon could anchor the tin oxide particles and inhibit their aggregation during the preparation process, leading to a uniform distribution of ultrafine SnO nanoparticles in the matrix.

Rational Design of an Electron/Ion Dual-Conductive Cathode Framework for High-Performance All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries.

All-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs) have been paid increasing attention because of the better security compared with conventional lithium-ion batteries with flammable organic electrolytes. However, the poor ion transport between the cathode materials greatly hinders the capacity performance of ASSLBs. Herein, an electron/ion dual-conductive electrode framework is proposed for superior performance ASSLBs.

Thiol-Assisted Synthesis of Carbon-Supported Metal Nanoparticles for Efficient Electrocatalytic CO Reduction.

The typical preparation route of carbon-supported metallic catalyst is complex and uneconomical. Herein, we reported a thiol-assisted one-pot method by using 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) to synthesize carbon-supported metal nanoparticles catalysts for efficient electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO RR). We found that the synthesized Au-MPA/C catalyst achieves a maximum CO faradaic efficiency (FE) of 96.

Partial Atomic Tin Nanocomplex Pillared Few-Layered TiCT MXenes for Superior Lithium-Ion Storage.

MXenes have attracted great interest in various fields, and pillared MXenes open a new path with larger interlayer spacing. However, the further study of pillared MXenes is blocked at multilayered state due to serious restacking phenomenon of few-layered MXene nanosheets. In this work, for the first time, we designed a facile NH method to fundamentally solve the restacking issues of MXene nanosheets and succeeded in achieving pillared few-layered MXene.

Flowerlike Ti-Doped MoO Conductive Anode Fabricated by a Novel NiTi Dealloying Method: Greatly Enhanced Reversibility of the Conversion and Intercalation Reaction.

Anodes made of molybdenum trioxide (MoO) suffer from insufficient conductivity and low catalytic reactivity. Here, we demonstrate that by using a dealloying method, we were able to fabricate anode of Ti-doped MoO (Ti-MoO), which exhibits high catalytic reactivity, along with enhanced rate performance and cycling stability. We found that after doping, interestingly, the Ti-MoO forms nanosheets and assembles into a micrometer-sized flowerlike morphology with enhanced interlayer distance.

One-Pot Synthesis of a Copolymer Micelle Crosslinked Binder with Multiple Lithium-Ion Diffusion Pathways for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Fast lithium-ion diffusion is very important to obtain high capacity and excellent cycling stability of lithium-sulfur batteries. In this study, a copolymer micelle crosslinked binder (FNA) for lithium-sulfur batteries was successfully synthesized through a one-pot environmentally friendly approach. The micelles were used as crosslinkers and carriers for the electrolyte.

Novel Synthesis of Red Phosphorus Nanodot/TiCT MXenes from Low-Cost TiSiC MAX Phases for Superior Lithium- and Sodium-Ion Batteries.

MXenes, synthesized from MAX, have emerged as new energy-storage materials for a good combination of metallic conductivity and rich surface chemistry. The reported MXenes are synthesized mostly from Al-based MAX. It is still a big challenge to synthesize MXenes from abundant Si-based MAX because of its strong Ti-Si bonds.

Vapor Deposition Red Phosphorus to Prepare Nitrogen-Doped TiCT MXenes Composites for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

MXenes have great application prospect in energy storage fields due to a series of special physicochemical properties. However, the application of MXenes is greatly limited due to low intrinsic capacity. Here, through spray drying and vapor deposition methods, N-doped TiCT and phosphorus composites (N-TiCT/P) were prepared for the first time.

Preparation of an Amorphous Cross-Linked Binder for Silicon Anodes.

An amorphous cross-linked binder is prepared from abundant and low-cost sodium alginate and carboxymethyl cellulose by protonation and mixing and is used to improve the electrochemical performance of silicon anodes in lithium-ion batteries. The amorphous cross-linked structure, formed by intermolecular hydrogen bonding between the functional groups in the two polymers, effectively enhances the flexibility and strength of the binder, resulting in strong adhesion between the binder and other components in the silicon anodes. Furthermore, the binder tolerates large volume changes and reduces the pulverization of silicon during the charge-discharge process.

A New Intermetallic NiSn Phase: Induced Synthesis, Crystal Structure Resolution, and Investigation of Its Mechanism.

Benefiting from the nanoscale effect, some metastable compounds can be synthesized in nanoparticles under normal conditions. The new intermetallic NiSn phase is synthesized by us for the first time by using a seed crystal induction method. This tetragonal phase in the P4/ mcc space group has stoichiometric Ni atom defects, yielding NiSn.

New, Effective, and Low-Cost Dual-Functional Binder for Porous Silicon Anodes in Lithium-Ion Batteries.

In this work, a new effective and low-cost binder applied in porous silicon anode is designed through blending of low-cost poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly(ethylene- co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) latex (PAA/EVA) to avoid pulverization of electrodes and loss of electronic contact because of huge volume changes during repeated charge/discharge cycles. PAA with a large number of carboxyl groups offers strong binding strength among porous silicon particles. EVA with high elastic property enhances the ductility of the PAA/EVA binder.

Ultra-stable binder-free rechargeable Li/I batteries enabled by "Betadine" chemical interaction.

An activated carbon cloth/polymer-iodine (ACC/PVP-I2) composite was prepared by the "Betadine" method and employed as a high-performance cathode for rechargeable Li/I2 batteries. Due to the synergistic effect of ACC and PVP-I2, Li/I2 cells with ACC/PVP-I2 as the cathode exhibited superior electrochemical performance.

Polyiodide-Shuttle Restricting Polymer Cathode for Rechargeable Lithium/Iodine Battery with Ultralong Cycle Life.

Rechargeable lithium/iodine (Li/I) batteries have attracted much attention because of their high gravimetric/volumetric energy densities, natural abundance and low cost. However, problems of the system, such as highly unstable iodine species under high temperature, their subsequent dissolution in electrolyte and continually reacting with lithium anode prevent the practical use of rechargeable Li/I cells. A polymer-iodine composite (polyvinylpyrrolidone-iodine) with high thermostability is employed as cathode material in rechargeable Li/I battery with an organic electrolyte.

Metallic Sn-Based Anode Materials: Application in High-Performance Lithium-Ion and Sodium-Ion Batteries.

With the fast-growing demand for green and safe energy sources, rechargeable ion batteries have gradually occupied the major current market of energy storage devices due to their advantages of high capacities, long cycling life, superior rate ability, and so on. Metallic Sn-based anodes are perceived as one of the most promising alternatives to the conventional graphite anode and have attracted great attention due to the high theoretical capacities of Sn in both lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) (994 mA h g) and sodium-ion batteries (847 mA h g). Though Sony has used Sn-Co-C nanocomposites as its commercial LIB anodes, to develop even better batteries using metallic Sn-based anodes there are still two main obstacles that must be overcome: poor cycling stability and low coulombic efficiency.

Facial Synthesis of Three-Dimensional Cross-Linked Cage for High-Performance Lithium Storage.

Silicon/C composite is a promising anode material for high-energy Li-ion batteries. However, synthesizing high-performance Si-based materials at large scale and low cost remains a huge challenge. Here, we for the first time report the preparation of an interconnected three-dimensional (3D) porous Si-hybrid architecture by using a spray drying method.