-Constructed Multifunctional Interface for High-Voltage 4.6 V LiCoO.

Due to high volumetric energy density, the major market share of cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries is still dominated by LiCoO (LCO) at a 3C field. However, a number of challenges will be triggered if the charge voltage is increased from 4.2/4.

Adjusting Crystal Orientation to Promote Sodium-Ion Transport in V S @Graphene Anode Materials for High-Performance Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have inspired the potential for widespread use in energy storage owing to the advantages of abundant resources and low cost. Benefiting from the layered structure, 2D-layered materials enable fast interlayer transport of sodium ions and thus are considered promising candidates as anodes for SIBs. Herein, a strategy of adjusting crystal orientation is proposed via a solvothermal method to improve sodium-ion transport at the edge of the interlayers in 2D-layered materials.

Recent Advances on Heterojunction-Type Anode Materials for Lithium-/Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Rechargeable batteries are key in the field of electrochemical energy storage, and the development of advanced electrode materials is essential to meet the increasing demand of electrochemical energy storage devices with higher density of energy and power. Anode materials are the key components of batteries. However, the anode materials still suffer from several challenges such as low rate capability and poor cycling stability, limiting the development of high-energy and high-power batteries.

Strengthened d-p Orbital Hybridization through Asymmetric Coordination Engineering of Single-Atom Catalysts for Durable Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Although single-atom catalysts (SACs) have been largely explored in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, the commonly reported nonpolar transition metal-N coordinations only demonstrate inferior adsorption and catalytic activity toward shuttled lithium polysulfides (LiPSs). Herein, single Fe atoms with asymmetric coordination configurations of Fe-NC-C were precisely designed and synthesized as efficient immobilizer and catalyst for LiPSs. The experimental and theoretical results elucidate that the asymmetrically coordinated Fe-NC-C moieties not only enhance the LiPSs anchoring capability by the formation of extra π-bonds originating from S p orbital and Fe d/d orbital hybridization but also boost the redox kinetics of LiPSs with reduced LiS precipitation/decomposition barrier, leading to suppressed shuttle effect.

TiH Nanodots Exfoliated via Facile Sonication as Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Li-S Batteries.

Mediating the redox kinetics of polysulfides is a promising strategy to mitigate the shuttling and sluggish conversion of polysulfides for practical application of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Herein, novel TiH nanodots (THNDs) fabricated by sonication-assisted liquid-phase exfoliation are used as bifunctional electrocatalysts for Li-S batteries. Both experimental and theoretical results reveal that THNDs can not only provide a strong chemical affinity to polysulfides but also bidirectionally promote the precipitation/decomposition of LiS from/to polysulfides during the discharge/charge process, thus effectively suppressing the shuttle effect and improving the redox kinetics of polysulfides.

Enhancing Cell Performance of Lithium-Rich Manganese-Based Materials via Tailoring Crystalline States of a Coating Layer.

Li-rich Mn-based-layered oxides are considered to be the most felicitous cathode material candidates for commercial application of lithium-ion batteries on account of high energy density. Nevertheless, defects containing an unsatisfactory initial Coulombic efficiency and rapid voltage decay seriously impede their practical utilization. Herein, a coating layer with three distinct crystalline states are employed as a coating layer to modify Li[LiMnNiCo]O, respectively, and the effects of coating layers with distinct crystalline states on the crystal structure, diffusion kinetics, and cell performance of host materials are further explored.

Novel Hoberman Sphere Design for Interlaced MnO@CNT Architecture with Atomic Layer Deposition-Coated TiO Overlayer as Advanced Anodes in Li-Ion Battery.

The Hoberman sphere is a stable and stretchable spatial structure with a unique design concept, which can be taken as the ideal prototype of the internal mechanical/conductive skeleton for the anode with large volume change. Herein, MnO nanoparticles are interlaced with a Hoberman sphere-like interconnected carbon nanotube (CNT) network via a facile self-assembly strategy in which MnO can "locally expand" in the CNT network, limit the volume expansion to the interior space, and maintain a stable outer surface of the hybrid particle. Furthermore, an ultrathin uniform ALD-coated TiO shell is adopted to stabilize the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), provide high electron conductivity and lithium ion (Li) diffusivity with lithiated LiTiO, and enhance the reaction kinetics of the MnO by an "electron-density enhancement effect".

Entropy Change Characteristics of the LiNiMnO Cathode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in the field of new energy vehicles and energy storage. Understanding the electrode reaction of lithium-ion batteries is the key to improve their cycle life and safety. Direct measurement of thermodynamic data of the electrode reaction is a practical, economical, and nondestructive method for electrode characterization.

Dissociate lattice oxygen redox reactions from capacity and voltage drops of battery electrodes.

The oxygen redox (OR) activity is conventionally considered detrimental to the stability and kinetics of batteries. However, OR reactions are often confused by irreversible oxygen oxidation. Here, based on high-efficiency mapping of resonant inelastic x-ray scattering of both the transition metal and oxygen, we distinguish the lattice OR in Na[LiMn]O and compare it with Na[MgMn]O.

Investigation of the Nanocrystal CoS Embedded in 3D Honeycomb-like Graphitic Carbon with a Synergistic Effect for High-Performance Lithium Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries can offer great opportunities for the next-generation energy storage systems with tremendous energy density. However, challenges still exist in practical Li-S batteries including low sulfur utilization, and poor cycling stability and rate capability. Herein, we propose a novel hybrid catalyst structure by in situ implanting nanocrystal CoS in three-dimensional honeycomb-like hierarchical porous graphitic carbon (HPGC) for high-performance Li-S batteries.

Spectroscopic Signature of Oxidized Oxygen States in Peroxides.

Recent debates on the oxygen redox behaviors in battery electrodes have triggered a pressing demand for the reliable detection and understanding of nondivalent oxygen states beyond conventional absorption spectroscopy. Here, enabled by high-efficiency mapping of resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (mRIXS) coupled with first-principles calculations, we report distinct mRIXS features of the oxygen states in LiO, LiCO, and especially, LiO, which are successfully reproduced and interpreted theoretically. mRIXS signals are dominated by valence-band decays in LiO and LiCO.

Elemental-sensitive Detection of the Chemistry in Batteries through Soft X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering.

Energy storage has become more and more a limiting factor of today's sustainable energy applications, including electric vehicles and green electric grid based on volatile solar and wind sources. The pressing demand of developing high-performance electrochemical energy storage solutions, i.e.

Modification of Transition-Metal Redox by Interstitial Water in Hexacyanometalate Electrodes for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

A sodium-ion battery (SIB) solution is attractive for grid-scale electrical energy storage. Low-cost hexacyanometalate is a promising electrode material for SIBs because of its easy synthesis and open framework. Most hexacyanometalate-based SIBs work with aqueous electrolyte, and interstitial water in the material has been found to strongly affect the electrochemical profile, but the mechanism remains elusive.

Effect of Chromium and Niobium Doping on the Morphology and Electrochemical Performance of High-Voltage Spinel LiNi(0.5)Mn(1.5)O4 Cathode Material.

Undoped, Cr-doped, and Nb-doped LiMn(1.5)Ni(0.5)O4 (LNMO) is synthesized via a PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone)-combustion method by calcinating at 1000 °C for 6 h.