Directly Formed Alucone on Lithium Metal for High-Performance Li Batteries and Li-S Batteries with High Sulfur Mass Loading.

Lithium metal is considered the "holy grail" of next-generation battery anodes. However, severe parasitic reactions at the lithium-electrolyte interface deplete the liquid electrolyte and the uncontrolled formation of high surface area and dendritic lithium during cycling causes rapid capacity fading and battery failure. Engineering a dendrite-free lithium metal anode is therefore critical for the development of long-life batteries using lithium anodes.

Reduced-Graphene Oxide/Poly(acrylic acid) Aerogels as a Three-Dimensional Replacement for Metal-Foil Current Collectors in Lithium-Ion Batteries.

We report the synthesis and properties of a low-density (∼5 mg/cm) and highly porous (99.6% void space) three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) nanocomposite aerogel as the scaffold for cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The rGO-PAA is both simple and starts from readily available graphite and PAA, thereby providing a scalable fabrication procedure.

Storage of Lithium in Hydrothermally Synthesized GeO2 Nanoparticles.

Amorphous GeO2 nanoparticles were prepared via a surfactant-assisted hydrothermal process. The effect of the reaction temperature and the surfactant concentration on the morphology of GeO2 particles were investigated. Particles of less than 300 nm were obtained when using 1,2-diaminopropane surfactant in a synthesis carried out at 180(◦)C.

Solution-grown germanium nanowire anodes for lithium-ion batteries.

Solution-grown germanium (Ge) nanowires were tested as high capacity anodes in lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries. Nanowire films were formulated and cast as slurries with conductive carbon (7:1 Ge:C w/w), PVdF binder and 1.0 M LiPF(6) dissolved in various solvents as electrolyte.

High performance silicon nanoparticle anode in fluoroethylene carbonate-based electrolyte for Li-ion batteries.

Electrodes composed of silicon nanoparticles (SiNP) were prepared by slurry casting and then electrochemically tested in a fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC)-based electrolyte. The capacity retention after cycling was significantly improved compared to electrodes cycled in a traditional ethylene carbonate (EC)-based electrolyte.