An infrared, Raman, and X-ray database of battery interphase components.

Further improvements to lithium-ion and emerging battery technologies can be enabled by an improved understanding of the chemistry and working mechanisms of interphases that form at electrochemically active battery interfaces. However, it is difficult to collect and interpret spectra of interphases for several reasons, including the presence of a variety of compounds. To address this challenge, we herein present a vibrational spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction data library of ten compounds that have been identified as interphase constituents in lithium-ion or emerging battery chemistries.

Highly porous carbon nanofiber electrodes for vanadium redox flow batteries.

The electrochemical performance of carbon nanofiber (CNF) electrodes in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) is enhanced by optimizing the morphological and physical properties of low-cost electrospun CNFs. The surface area, porosity and electrical conductivity of CNFs are tailored by modifying the precursor composition, especially the sacrificing agent, Fe(acac), in the polymer precursor and carbonization temperature. A highly porous structure with a large surface area is generated by the catalytic growth of graphitic carbon spheres surrounding the iron nanoparticles which are removed by an acid etching process.

Sodiophilically Graded Gold Coating on Carbon Skeletons for Highly Stable Sodium Metal Anodes.

Metallic sodium (Na) is an appealing anode material for high-energy Na batteries. However, Na metal suffers from low coulombic efficiencies and severe dendrite growth during plating/stripping cycles, causing short circuits. As an effective strategy to improve the deposition behavior of Na metal, a 3D carbon foam is developed that is sputter-coated with gold nanoparticles (Au/CF), forming a functional gradient through its thickness.

Nitrogen-doped graphene fiber webs for multi-battery energy storage.

Freestanding carbon-based electrodes with large surface areas and pore volumes are essential to fast ion transport and long-term energy storage. Many of the current porous carbon substrates are composed of particulates, making it difficult to form a self-supported structure. Herein, novel highly porous nitrogen-doped graphene fiber webs (N-GFWs) are prepared using a facile wet-spinning method.