"Straw in the Clay Soil" Strategy: Anticarbon Corrosive Fluorine-Decorated Graphene Nanoribbons@CNT Composite for Long-Term PEMFC.

Carbon corrosion poses a significant challenge in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), leading to reduced cell performance due to catalyst layer degradation and catalyst detachment from electrodes. A promising approach to address this issue involves incorporating an anticorrosive carbon material into the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrode, even in small quantities (≈3 wt% in electrode). Herein, the successful synthesis of fluorine-doped graphene nanoribbons (F-GNR) incorporated with graphitic carbon nanotubes (F-GNR@CNT), demonstrating robust resistance to carbon corrosion is reported.

Fabrication of Al-Ni Alloys for Fast Hydrogen Production from Hydrolysis in Alkaline Water.

Hydrogen generation through the hydrolysis of aluminum alloys has attracted significant attention because it generates hydrogen directly from alkaline water without the need for hydrogen storage technology. The hydrogen generation rate from the hydrolysis of aluminum in alkaline water is linearly proportional to its corrosion rate. To accelerate the corrosion rate of the aluminum alloy, we designed Al-Ni alloys by continuously precipitating an electrochemically noble AlNi phase along the grain boundaries.

An Inorganic-Rich SEI Layer by the Catalyzed Reduction of LiNO Enabled by Surface-Abundant Hydrogen Bonding for Stable Lithium Metal Batteries.

Lithium (Li) metal anodes (LMAs) are promising anode candidates for realizing high-energy-density batteries. However, the formation of unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layers on Li metal is harmful for stable Li cycling; hence, enhancing the physical/chemical properties of SEI layers is important for stabilizing LMAs. Herein, thiourea (TU, CH N S) is introduced as a new catalyzing agent for LiNO reduction to form robust inorganic-rich SEI layers containing abundant Li N.

Realization of a 594 Wh kg Lithium-Metal Battery Using a Lithium-Free V O Cathode with Enhanced Performances by Nanoarchitecturing.

To realize a high-energy lithium metal battery (LMB) using a high-capacity Li-free cathode, in this work, nanoplate-stacked V O with dominantly exposed (010) facets and a relatively short [010] length is proposed to be used as a cathode. The V O nanostructure can be fabricated via a modified hydrothermal method, including a Li crystallization inhibitor, followed by heat treatment. In particular, the enlargement of the favorable Li diffusion pathway in the [010] direction and the formation of a robust hierarchical nanoplate-stacked structure in the modified V O improves the electrochemical kinetics and stability; as a result, the nanoplate-stacked V O electrode exhibits a higher capacity and rate performance (258 mAh g at 50 mA g [0.

Lignin-Based Materials for Sustainable Rechargeable Batteries.

This review discusses important scientific progress, problems, and prospects of lignin-based materials in the field of rechargeable batteries. Lignin, a component of the secondary cell wall, is considered a promising source of biomass. Compared to cellulose, which is the most extensively studied biomass material, lignin has a competitive price and a variety of functional groups leading to broad utilization such as adhesive, emulsifier, pesticides, polymer composite, carbon precursor, etc.

Understanding an Exceptionally Fast and Stable Li-Ion Charging of Highly Fluorinated Graphene with Fine-Controlled C-F Configuration.

Fluorine (F) atoms with the highest electronegativity and low polarizability can easily modify the surface and composition of carbon-based electrode materials. However, this is accompanied by complete irreversibility and uncontrolled reactivity, thus hindering their use in rechargeable electronic devices. Therefore, understanding the electrochemical effects of the C-F configuration might lead to achieving superior electrochemical properties.

Enhancing the Capacity and Stability of a Tungsten Disulfide Anode in a Lithium-Ion Battery Using Excess Sulfur.

Tungsten disulfide (WS) is a transition metal disulfide and a promising anode material due to its layered structure, making it favorable for attaining lithium-ion batteries with rate capability and thermal/mechanical stability. Although WS has a rich redox chemistry and a large density, which can increase the specific capacity and volumetric energy density, it still has an inferior specific capacity and poor long-term stability for practical use due to its insufficient space for the accommodation of lithium ions and large volume change during cycling. Herein, to overcome the chronic limitations of WS-based anodes, we propose a micron-sized tungsten disulfide/reduced graphene oxide composite by employing excess sulfur (S-WS/r-GO).

In Situ Self-Formed Nanosheet MoS/Reduced Graphene Oxide Material Showing Superior Performance as a Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode.

Although lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have 5-10 times higher theoretical capacity (1675 mAh g) than present commercial lithium-ion batteries, Li-S batteries show a rapid and continuous capacity fading due to the polysulfide dissolution in common electrolytes. Here, we propose the use of a sulfur-based cathode material, amorphous MoS and reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) composite, which can be substituted for the pure sulfur-based cathodes. In order to enhance kinetics and stability of the electrodes, we intentionally pulverize the microsized MoS sheet into nanosheets and form an ultrathin nano-SEI on the surface using in situ electrochemical methods.

Electrospun Nb-doped TiO nanofiber support for Pt nanoparticles with high electrocatalytic activity and durability.

This study explores a facile method to prepare an efficient and durable support for Pt catalyst of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). As a candidate, Nb-doped TiO (Nb-TiO) nanofibers are simply fabricated using an electrospinning technique, followed by a heat treatment. Doping Nb into the TiO nanofibers leads to a drastic increase in electrical conductivity with doping level of up to 25 at.

Bi-axial grown amorphous MoS bridged with oxygen on r-GO as a superior stable and efficient nonprecious catalyst for hydrogen evolution.

Amorphous molybdenum sulfide (MoS) is covalently anchored to reduced graphene oxide (r-GO) via a simple one-pot reaction, thereby inducing the reduction of GO and simultaneous doping of heteroatoms on the GO. The oxygen atoms form a bridged between MoS and GO and play a crucial role in the fine dispersion of the MoS particles, control of planar MoS growth, and increase of exposed active sulfur sites. This bridging leads to highly efficient (-157 mV overpotential and 41 mV/decade Tafel slope) and stable (95% versus initial activity after 1000 cycles) electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution.

A stable lithiated silicon-chalcogen battery via synergetic chemical coupling between silicon and selenium.

Li-ion batteries dominate portable energy storage due to their exceptional power and energy characteristics. Yet, various consumer devices and electric vehicles demand higher specific energy and power with longer cycle life. Here we report a full-cell battery that contains a lithiated Si/graphene anode paired with a selenium disulfide (SeS) cathode with high capacity and long-term stability.

Hierarchical networks of redox-active reduced crumpled graphene oxide and functionalized few-walled carbon nanotubes for rapid electrochemical energy storage.

Crumpled graphene is known to have a strong aggregation-resistive property due to its unique 3D morphology, providing a promising solution to prevent the restacking issue of graphene based electrode materials. Here, we demonstrate the utilization of redox-active oxygen functional groups on the partially reduced crumpled graphene oxide (r-CGO) for electrochemical energy storage applications. To effectively utilize the surface redox reactions of the functional groups, hierarchical networks of electrodes including r-CGO and functionalized few-walled carbon nanotubes (f-FWNTs) are assembled via a vacuum-filtration process, resulting in a 3D porous structure.

Design of an Advanced Membrane Electrode Assembly Employing a Double-Layered Cathode for a PEM Fuel Cell.

The membrane electrolyte assembly (MEA) designed in this study utilizes a double-layered cathode: an inner catalyst layer prepared by a conventional decal transfer method and an outer catalyst layer directly coated on a gas diffusion layer. The double-layered structure was used to improve the interfacial contact between the catalyst layer and membrane, to increase catalyst utilization and to modify the removal of product water from the cathode. Based on a series of MEAs with double-layered cathodes with an overall Pt loading fixed at 0.