Structural Toughness of Fluorinated-Nitrided Interphase Passivation Layers for Lithium-Ion Batteries: A Reactive Molecular Dynamics Study.

The performance of lithium-ion batteries largely depends on the stability of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer formed on the anode surface. Strategies to improve SEI robustness often rely on optimizing its composition through electrolytic additives. Recently, the amalgamation of fluorinated cosolvents with nitride sources as additives has been shown to enable the construction of sustainable fluorinated-nitrided SEI layers (FN-SEI).

Amorphization of Inorganic Solid Electrolyte Interphase Components and Its Impact on Enhancing Their Transport and Mechanical Properties.

The safety and cycle life of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are largely determined by the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formed on the surface of the anode. However, there is still a lack of understanding regarding the structure and properties of the individual SEI components. Among others, lithium oxide (LiO), lithium carbonate (LiCO), and lithium fluoride (LiF) are known to be the main components of the inorganic SEI layer in conventional LIBs, but their intrinsic protective roles remain controversial.

Highly Selective, Defect-Induced Photocatalytic CO Reduction to Acetaldehyde by the Nb-Doped TiO Nanotube Array under Simulated Solar Illumination.

The adsorption and activation of CO molecules on the surface of photocatalysts are critical steps to realize efficient solar energy-induced CO conversion to valuable chemicals. In this work, a defect engineering approach of a high-valence cation Nb-doping into TiO was developed, which effectively enhanced the adsorption and activation of CO molecules on the Nb-doped TiO surface. A highly ordered Nb-doped TiO nanotube array was prepared by anodization of the Ti-Nb alloy foil and subsequent annealing at 550 °C in air for 2 h for its crystallization.

Stable Potassium Metal Anodes with an All-Aluminum Current Collector through Improved Electrolyte Wetting.

This is the first report of successful potassium metal battery anode cycling with an aluminum-based rather than copper-based current collector. Dendrite-free plating/stripping is achieved through improved electrolyte wetting, employing an aluminum-powder-coated aluminum foil "Al@Al," without any modification of the support surface chemistry or electrolyte additives. The reservoir-free Al@Al half-cell is stable at 1000 cycles (1950 h) at 0.

In situ healing of dendrites in a potassium metal battery.

The use of potassium (K) metal anodes could result in high-performance K-ion batteries that offer a sustainable and low-cost alternative to lithium (Li)-ion technology. However, formation of dendrites on such K-metal surfaces is inevitable, which prevents their utilization. Here, we report that K dendrites can be healed in situ in a K-metal battery.

Effect of cobalt content on the electrochemical properties and structural stability of NCA type cathode materials.

At present, the most common type of cathode materials, NCA (Li1-xNi0.80Co0.15Al0.

Utilizing van der Waals Slippery Interfaces to Enhance the Electrochemical Stability of Silicon Film Anodes in Lithium-Ion Batteries.

High specific capacity anode materials such as silicon (Si) are increasingly being explored for next-generation, high performance lithium (Li)-ion batteries. In this context, Si films are advantageous compared to Si nanoparticle based anodes since in films the free volume between nanoparticles is eliminated, resulting in very high volumetric energy density. However, Si undergoes volume expansion (contraction) under lithiation (delithiation) of up to 300%.

Self-heating-induced healing of lithium dendrites.

Lithium (Li) metal electrodes are not deployable in rechargeable batteries because electrochemical plating and stripping invariably leads to growth of dendrites that reduce coulombic efficiency and eventually short the battery. It is generally accepted that the dendrite problem is exacerbated at high current densities. Here, we report a regime for dendrite evolution in which the reverse is true.

Protecting Silicon Film Anodes in Lithium-Ion Batteries Using an Atomically Thin Graphene Drape.

Silicon (Si) shows promise as an anode material in lithium-ion batteries due to its very high specific capacity. However, Si is highly brittle, and in an effort to prevent Si from fracturing, the research community has migrated from the use of Si films to Si nanoparticle based electrodes. However, such a strategy significantly reduces volumetric energy density due to the porosity of Si nanoparticle electrodes.