Coordination-Assisted Precise Construction of Metal Oxide Nanofilms for High-Performance Solid-State Batteries.

The application of solid-state batteries (SSBs) is challenged by the inherently poor interfacial contact between the solid-state electrolyte (SSE) and the electrodes, typically a metallic lithium anode. Building artificial intermediate nanofilms is effective in tackling this roadblock, but their implementation largely relies on vapor-based techniques such as atomic layer deposition, which are expensive, energy-intensive, and time-consuming due to the monolayer deposited per cycle. Herein, an easy and low-cost wet-chemistry fabrication process is used to engineer the anode/solid electrolyte interface in SSBs with nanoscale precision.

Li S -Integrated PEO-Based Polymer Electrolytes for All-Solid-State Lithium-Metal Batteries.

The integration of Li S within a poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based polymer electrolyte is demonstrated to improve the polymer electrolyte's ionic conductivity because the strong interplay between O and Li from Li S reduces the crystalline volume within the PEO. The Li/electrolyte interface is stabilized by the in situ formation of an ultra-thin Li S/Li S layer via the reaction between Li S and lithium metal, which increases the ionic transport at the interface and suppresses lithium dendrite growth. A symmetric Li/Li cell with the Li S -integrated composite electrolyte has excellent cyclability and a high critical current density of 0.

Ionic Liquid (IL) Laden Metal-Organic Framework (IL-MOF) Electrolyte for Quasi-Solid-State Sodium Batteries.

An ionic liquid (IL) laden metal-organic framework (MOF) sodium-ion electrolyte has been developed for ambient-temperature quasi-solid-state sodium batteries. The MOF skeleton is designed according to a UIO-66 (Universitetet i Oslo) structure. A sodium sulfonic (-SONa) group grafted to the UIO-based MOF ligand improves the Na-ion conductivity.

Interfacial Chemistry Enables Stable Cycling of All-Solid-State Li Metal Batteries at High Current Densities.

The application of flexible, robust, and low-cost solid polymer electrolytes in next-generation all-solid-state lithium metal batteries has been hindered by the low room-temperature ionic conductivity of these electrolytes and the small critical current density of the batteries. Both issues stem from the low mobility of Li ions in the polymer and the fast lithium dendrite growth at the Li metal/electrolyte interface. Herein, Mg(ClO) is demonstrated to be an effective additive in the poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based composite electrolyte to regulate Li ion transport and manipulate the Li metal/electrolyte interfacial performance.

General Strategy for Synthesis of Ordered Pt M Intermetallics with Ultrasmall Particle Size.

Controllable synthesis of atomically ordered intermetallic nanoparticles (NPs) is crucial to obtain superior electrocatalytic performance for fuel cell reactions, but still remains arduous. Herein, we demonstrate a novel and general hydrogel-freeze drying strategy for the synthesis of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) supported Pt M (M=Mn, Cr, Fe, Co, etc.) intermetallic NPs (Pt M/rGO-HF) with ultrasmall particle size (about 3 nm) and dramatic monodispersity.

Fast Li Conduction Mechanism and Interfacial Chemistry of a NASICON/Polymer Composite Electrolyte.

The unclear Li local environment and Li conduction mechanism in solid polymer electrolytes, especially in a ceramic/polymer composite electrolyte, hinder the design and development of a new composite electrolyte. Moreover, both the low room-temperature Li conductivity and large interfacial resistance with a metallic lithium anode of a polymer membrane limit its application below a relatively high temperature. Here we have identified the Li distribution and Li transport mechanism in a composite polymer electrolyte by investigating a new solid poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based NASICON-LiZr(PO) composite with Li relaxation time and Li → Li trace-exchange NMR measurements.

Enhanced Surface Interactions Enable Fast Li Conduction in Oxide/Polymer Composite Electrolyte.

Li -conducting oxides are considered better ceramic fillers than Li -insulating oxides for improving Li conductivity in composite polymer electrolytes owing to their ability to conduct Li through the ceramic oxide as well as across the oxide/polymer interface. Here we use two Li -insulating oxides (fluorite Gd Ce O and perovskite La Sr Ga Mg O ) with a high concentration of oxygen vacancies to demonstrate two oxide/poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based polymer composite electrolytes, each with a Li conductivity above 10  S cm at 30 °C. Li solid-state NMR results show an increase in Li ions (>10 %) occupying the more mobile A2 environment in the composite electrolytes.