Publications by authors named "Hongbo Shu"

The rapid catalytic conversion toward polysulfides is considered to be an advantageous approach to boost the reaction kinetics and inhibit the shuttle effect in lithium-sulfur (Li─S) batteries. However, the prediction of high catalytic activity Li─S catalysts has become challenging given the carelessness in the relationship between important electronic characteristics of catalysts and catalytic activity. Herein, the relationships between the D-band regulation of catalysts with reaction kinetics toward polysulfides are described.

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Article Synopsis
  • Room temperature sodium-sulfur (RT-Na/S) batteries are attractive for large-scale energy storage due to their cost-effectiveness and high energy density, but face challenges like shuttle effects and slow reaction rates.
  • A new design utilizing FeSe nanoparticles on nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanosheets was developed to mitigate these issues by inhibiting the shuttle effect and improving the utilization of sulfur.
  • This approach provides a fast electron and ion transport platform, enhances catalytic activity, and achieves impressive results with high sulfur availability and long cycle life, maintaining 72% capacity after 500 cycles.
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The shuttle effect and sluggish redox kinetics of polysulfides have hindered the development of lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) as premier energy storage devices. To address these issues, a high-entropy metal phosphide (NiCoMnFeCrP) was synthesized using the sol-gel method. NiCoMnFeCrP, with its rich metal species, exhibits strong synergistic effects and provides numerous catalytic active sites for the conversion of polysulfides.

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Currently, a major target in the development of Na-ion batteries is the concurrent attainment of high-rate capacity and long cycling stability. Herein, an advanced Na-ion battery with high-rate capability and long cycle stability based on Li/Ti co-doped P2-type NaMnNiO, a host material with high-voltage zero-phase transition behavior and fast Na migration/conductivity during dynamic de-embedding process, is constructed. Experimental results and theoretical calculations reveal that the two-element doping strategy promotes a mutually reinforcing effect, which greatly facilitates the transfer capability of Na.

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Li-S batteries have drawn a lot of attention for their high theoretical specific capacity and significant economic benefits. However, the shuttle effect of polysulfides prevents them from being used widely. To tackle this difficulty, a heterogeneous structure based on tubular carbon nitride with evenly dispersed molybdenum dioxide nanoparticles (MoO/t-CN) as the S host is constructed in this work.

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Bipolar redox organic compounds have been considered as potential next-generation electrode materials due to their sustainability, low cost and tunable structure. However, their development is still limited by the poor cycling stability and low energy density ascribed to high dissolution during cycling and the low conductivity of organic molecules. Herein, porphyrin-based bipolar organics of [5,10,15,20-tetrathienylporphinato] M (M=2 H, Cu (CuTTP)) are proposed as new stable organic electrodes.

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The performance promotion of Li-S batteries relies primarily on inhibition of the shuttle effect and improvement of the catalytic-conversion reaction kinetics of polysulfides. Herein, we prepare defect-enriched VS nanosheets (VS) as catalysts for Li-S batteries and further study the catalytic mechanism of VS via ex situ X-ray diffraction and in situ UV-vis spectroscopy. A multifunctional S cathode was also obtained by assembling VS on a C cloth to achieve high S loading for Li-S batteries.

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The practical progress of lithium-sulfur batteries is hindered by the serious shuttle effect and the slow oxidation-reduction kinetics of polysulfides. Herein, the ZnFeO-NiP Mott-Schottky heterojunction material is prepared to address these issues. Benefitting from a self-generated built-in electric field, ZnFeO-NiP as an efficient bidirectional catalysis regulates the charge distribution at the interface and accelerates electron transfer.

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Highlights: Functionalized porphyrin complexes are proposed as new pseudocapacitive cathodes for SIBs based on four-electron transfer. The presence of copper(II) ion partially contributes the charge storage and significantly stabilizes the structure of porphyrin complex for electrochemical energy storage. The electrochemical polymerization of porphyrin complex through the ethynyl groups in self-stabilization process contributes to high rate capability and excellent cycling stability.

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Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have attracted all-time attention because of their supernormal high energy density and low cost, whereas they are still plagued by the severe polysulfide shuttling and sluggish sulfur redox reaction kinetics. Moreover, poor sulfur electrochemical utilization and rapid capacity degradation are top concerns in the high-loading Li-S batteries, which severely hinder their practical applications. Herein, a completely novel porous nanoneedle array NiCoS electrocatalyst grown on a nitrogen-sulfur-doped carbon cloth (NSCC) (NiCoS@NSCC) is constructed as a 3D self-supported sulfur host for high-loading Li-S batteries, in which the highest sulfur loading reaches 4.

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The poor electronic conductivity of NaFeSiO always limits its electrochemical reactivities and no effective solution has been found to date. Herein, the novel Ni-substituted NaFeNiSiO@C nanospheres (50-100 nm) encapsulated with a 3D hierarchical porous skeleton (named as alveolation-like configuration) constructed using carbon are first synthesized a facile sol-gel method, and the effects of Ni substitution combined with the design of a unique carbon network on Na-storage properties are assessed systematically, focusing on alleviating the inherent defects of the NaFeSiO cathode material. A series of characterization technologies such as X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and so forth, coupled with the electrochemical measurements and first-principles calculations, are used to explore the structure, morphology and electrochemical behaviors of the as-prepared materials.

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Rechargeable potassium-ion batteries (KIBs) are promising alternatives to lithium-ion batteries for large-scale electrochemical energy-storage applications because of the abundance and low cost of potassium. However, the development of KIBs is hampered by the lack of stable and high-capacity cathode materials. Herein, a functionalized porphyrin complex, [5,15-bis(ethynyl)-10,20-diphenylporphinato]copper(II) (CuDEPP), was proposed as a new cathode for rechargeable potassium batteries.

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Li-S battery has tremendous application prospect on account of the high theoretical specific capacity and large energy density, while its large-scale application is impeded by the severe shuttle effect and the slow electrochemical kinetics of polysulfides conversion. Herein, the Lewis acidic yttria hollow spheres (YHS) are rationally designed as both sulfur immobilizer and catalyst of polysulfides conversion for the advanced Li-S batteries. It can be known that the Lewis acidic yttria can effectively capture the Lewis basic polysulfides and thus mitigate the shuttle effect of Li-S battery; besides, yttria shows the enhanced catalytic effect for the kinetics of interconversion reaction from polysulfides to LiS.

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Lithium-sulfur batteries are considered as promising next-generation green secondary batteries. Irrespective of the enhancement of the cycling stability or the suppression of polysulfide species shuttle, although much progress has recently been achieved, improving the conductivity of host materials and capturing the sulfide species as far as possible are still hot topics in the research of lithium-sulfur batteries nowadays. Here, we put forward a novel sulfur host architecture based on TiO microspheres fabricated by magnesiothermic reduction.

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The commercialization of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries is greatly hindered due to serious capacity fading caused by the polysulfide shuttling effect. Optimizing the structural configuration, enhancing reaction kinetics of the sulfur cathode, and increasing areal sulfur loading are of great significance for promoting the commercial applications of Li-S batteries. Herein, the multifunctional polysulfide scavengers based on nitrogen, sulfur co-doped carbon cloth (DCC), which is supported by flower-like MoS (1T-2H) decorated with BaMn Mg O perovskite particle (PrNP) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), namely, DCC@MoS /PrNP/CNTs, are delicately designed and synthesized.

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A novel process recycling Li from the spent LiFePO cathode material has been put forward. The new LiFePO sample is synthesized through hydrothermal reaction by using recovered LiPO as Li source and FeSO·7HO as Fe source. The morphologies, structure and physicochemical properties of the re-synthesized LiFePO cathode material were characterized by Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrochemical measurement.

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Li-rich layered oxides (LLOs) with high specific capacities are favorable cathode materials with high-energy density. Unfortunately, the drawbacks of LLOs such as oxygen release, low conductivity, and depressed kinetics for lithium ion transport during cycling can affect the safety and rate capability. Moreover, they suffer severe capacity and voltage fading, which are major challenges for the commercializing development.

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Lithium-rich oxide material has been considered as an attractive candidate for high-energy cathode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the practical applications are still hindered due to its low initial reversible capacity, severe voltage decaying, and unsatisfactory rate capability. Among all, the voltage decaying is a serious barrier that results in a large decrease of energy density during long-term cycling.

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The cornlike ordered mesoporous silicon (OM-Si) particles modified by the nitrogen-doped carbon layer (OM-Si@NC) are successfully fabricated and used as the anode of lithium-ion battery (LIBs). The influences of the N-doped carbon layer on the structure and electrochemical properties of the OM-Si@NC composite are detailedly investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectrum, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and charge/discharge tests. The results reveal that the amorphous N-doped carbon layer can offer the abundant conductive pathways for fast lithium ion transportation and electron transfer, which not only leads to a high specific capacity under high ampere density but also serves as a structural barrier maintaining the whole integrity and settling the mechanical breaking due to the huge volume changes of Si host.

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