Cinnamon-Derived Hierarchically Porous Carbon as an Effective Lithium Polysulfide Reservoir in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur batteries are attractive candidates for next generation high energy applications, but more research works are needed to overcome their current challenges, namely: (a) the poor electronic conductivity of sulfur, and (b) the dissolution and migration of long-chain polysulfides. Inspired by eco-friendly and bio-derived materials, we synthesized highly porous carbon from cinnamon sticks. The bio-carbon had an ultra-high surface area and large pore volume, which serves the dual functions of making sulfur particles highly conductive and acting as a polysulfide reservoir.

Designing High-Performance Nanostructured P2-type Cathode Based on a Template-free Modified Pechini Method for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Layered oxides are promising cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries because of their high theoretical capacities. However, many of these layered materials experience severe capacity decay when operated at high voltage (>4.25 V), hindering their practical application.

Nanoscale Manipulation of Spinel Lithium Nickel Manganese Oxide Surface by Multisite Ti Occupation as High-Performance Cathode.

A novel two-step surface modification method that includes atomic layer deposition (ALD) of TiO followed by post-annealing treatment on spinel LiNi Mn O (LNMO) cathode material is developed to optimize the performance. The performance improvement can be attributed to the formation of a TiMn O (TMO)-like spinel phase resulting from the reaction of TiO with the surface LNMO. The Ti incorporation into the tetrahedral sites helps to combat the impedance growth that stems from continuous irreversible structural transition.

Efficient Method of Designing Stable Layered Cathode Material for Sodium Ion Batteries Using Aluminum Doping.

Despite their high specific capacity, sodium layered oxides suffer from severe capacity fading when cycled at higher voltages. This key issue must be addressed in order to develop high-performance cathodes for sodium ion batteries (SIBs). Herein, we present a comprehensive study on the influence of Al doping of Mn sites on the structural and electrochemical properties of a P2-NaMnAlCoO (x = 0, 0.

Engineering the Pores of Biomass-Derived Carbon: Insights for Achieving Ultrahigh Stability at High Power in High-Energy Supercapacitors.

Electrochemical supercapacitors with high energy density are promising devices due to their simple construction and long-term cycling performance. The development of a supercapacitor based on electrical double-layer charge storage with high energy density that can preserve its cyclability at higher power presents an ongoing challenge. Herein, we provide insights to achieve a high energy density at high power with an ultrahigh stability in an electrical double-layer capacitor (EDLC) system by using carbon from a biomass precursor (cinnamon sticks) in a sodium ion-based organic electrolyte.

Facile hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of CoGeO/r-GO@C ternary nanocomposite as negative electrode for Li-ion batteries.

Ternary nanocomposite of CoGeO/r-GO@C is synthesized by single step hydrothermal method followed by calcination. The XRD analysis reveals the formation of cubic structured CoGeO and their corresponding functional groups identified through Raman analysis. The TEM analysis assures that uniform distribution of CoGeO nanoparticles on the r-GO layers.

Surfactant-free hydrothermal synthesis of hierarchically structured spherical CuBi2O4 as negative electrodes for Li-ion hybrid capacitors.

Hierarchically structured spherical CuBi2O4 particles were prepared using a facile hydrothermal method without using a surfactant over various hydrothermal reaction periods. The prepared CuBi2O4 samples were examined via X-ray diffraction (XRD), which confirmed the formation of a tetragonal crystal structure. The morphological features were analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), which elucidated the construction of the hierarchical microspherical CuBi2O4 particles.

Highly stable Na2/3 (Mn0.54 Ni0.13 Co0.13 )O2 cathode modified by atomic layer deposition for sodium-ion batteries.

For the first time, atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Al2 O3 was adopted to enhance the cyclic stability of layered P2-type Na2/3 (Mn0.54 Ni0.13 Co0.

High-power lithium-ion capacitor using LiMnBO3 -nanobead anode and polyaniline-nanofiber cathode with excellent cycle life.

LiMnBO3 nanobeads (LMB-NB) with uniform size and distribution were synthesized using a urea-assisted microwave/solvothermal method. The potential application of LMB-NBs as an anode for a lithium-ion hybrid capacitor (Li-AHC) was tested with a polyaniline-nanofiber (PANI-NF) cathode in a nonaqueous LiPF6 (1 M)-ethylene carbonate/dimethyl carbonate electrolyte. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and charge-discharge (C/DC) studies revealed that the PANI-NF/LMB-NB cell showed an exceptional capacitance behavior between 0-3 V along with a prolonged cycle life.

LiMnBO₃ nanobeads as an innovative anode material for high power lithium ion capacitor applications.

A novel approach was made to fabricate lithium ion hybrid capacitor (Li-HC) having LiMnBO3 nanobead (LMB-NB) anode and polyaniline nanofiber (PANI) cathode in 1 M LiPF6 organic electrolyte. LMB-NB and PANI nanofibers were synthesized using urea assisted microwave-solvothermal method and chemical polymerization process, respectively. The PANI/LMB-NB cell showed improved electrochemical capacitive behavior as compared to activated carbon (AC)/LMB-NB cell due to the characteristic conductivity and the morphological feature of PANI as well as LMB-NB electrodes.

Construction of high-energy-density supercapacitors from pine-cone-derived high-surface-area carbons.

Very high surface area activated carbons (AC) are synthesized from pine cone petals by a chemical activation process and subsequently evaluated as an electrode material for supercapacitor applications in a nonaqueous medium. The maximum specific surface area of ∼3950 m(2)  g(-1) is noted for the material treated with a 1:5 ratio of KOH to pine cone petals (PCC5), which is much higher than that reported for carbonaceous materials derived from various other biomass precursors. A symmetric supercapacitor is fabricated with PCC5 electrodes, and the results showed enhanced supercapacitive behavior with the highest energy density of ∼61 Wh kg(-1).

Fluorine-doped Fe(2)O(3) as high energy density electroactive material for hybrid supercapacitor applications.

Nanostructured α-Fe2 O3 with and without fluorine substitution were successfully obtained by a green route, that is, microwave irradiation. The hematite phase materials were evaluated as a high-performance electrode material in a hybrid supercapacitor configuration along with activated carbon (AC). The presence of fluorine was confirmed through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy.

Graphene--nanotube--iron hierarchical nanostructure as lithium ion battery anode.

In this study, we report a novel route via microwave irradiation to synthesize a bio-inspired hierarchical graphene--nanotube--iron three-dimensional nanostructure as an anode material in lithium-ion batteries. The nanostructure comprises vertically aligned carbon nanotubes grown directly on graphene sheets along with shorter branches of carbon nanotubes stemming out from both the graphene sheets and the vertically aligned carbon nanotubes. This bio-inspired hierarchical structure provides a three-dimensional conductive network for efficient charge-transfer and prevents the agglomeration and restacking of the graphene sheets enabling Li-ions to have greater access to the electrode material.