All-in-One Polymer Gel Electrolyte towards High-Efficiency and Stable Fiber Zinc-Air Battery.

Fiber zinc-air batteries are explored as promising power systems for wearable and portable electronic devices due to their intrinsic safety and the use of ambient oxygen as cathode material. However, challenges such as limited zinc anode reversibility and sluggish cathode reaction kinetics result in poor cycling stability and low energy efficiency. To address these challenges, we design a polydopamine-based all-in-one gel electrolyte (PAGE) that simultaneously regulates the reversibility of zinc anodes and the kinetics of air cathodes through polydopamine interfacial and redox chemistry, respectively.

Organic Electrode Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion: Mechanism, Characteristics, and Applications.

ConspectusLithium ion batteries (LIBs) with inorganic intercalation compounds as electrode active materials have become an indispensable part of human life. However, the rapid increase in their annual production raises concerns about limited mineral reserves and related environmental issues. Therefore, organic electrode materials (OEMs) for rechargeable batteries have once again come into the focus of researchers because of their design flexibility, sustainability, and environmental compatibility.

Enabling Long-Life Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Batteries with a Highly Stable, Low Redox Potential Phenazine Anolyte.

Aqueous organic redox flow batteries (AORFBs) are considered a promising energy storage technology due to the sustainability and designability of organic active molecules. Despite this, most of AORFBs suffer from limited stability and low voltage because of the chemical instability and high redox potential of organic molecules in anolyte. Herein, we propose a new phenazine derivative, 4,4'-(phenazine-2,3-diylbis(oxy))dibutyric acid (2,3--DBAP), as a water-soluble and chemically stable anodic active molecules.

Stable Operation of Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Batteries in Air Atmosphere.

As a green route for large-scale energy storage, aqueous organic redox flow batteries (AORFBs) are attracting extensive attention. However, most of the reported AORFBs were operated in an inert atmosphere. Herein, we clarify this issue by using the reported AORFB (i.

Mulberry-Leaves-Derived Red-Emissive Carbon Dots for Feeding Silkworms to Produce Brightly Fluorescent Silk.

Fluorescent silk has promising applications in dazzling textiles, biological engineering, and medical products, but the natural Bombyx mori silk has almost no fluorescence. Here carbon dots (CDs) made from mulberry leaves are reported, which have a strong near-infrared fluorescence with absolute quantum yield of 73% and a full width at half maximum of 20 nm. After feeding with such CDs, silkworms exhibit bright red fluorescence, grow healthily, cocoon normally, and turn to moths finally.

Boosting Cycling Stability and Rate Capability of Li-CO Batteries via Synergistic Photoelectric Effect and Plasmonic Interaction.

Sluggish CO reduction/evolution kinetics at cathodes seriously impede the realistic applications of Li-CO batteries. Herein, synergistic photoelectric effect and plasmonic interaction are introduced to accelerate CO reduction/evolution reactions by designing a silver nanoparticle-decorated titanium dioxide nanotube array cathode. The incident light excites energetic photoelectrons/holes in titanium dioxide to overcome reaction barriers, and induces the intensified electric field around silver nanoparticles to enable effective separation/transfer of photogenerated carriers and a thermodynamically favorable reaction pathway.

Chemically Self-Charging Aqueous Zinc-Organic Battery.

Zn-organic batteries are attracting extensive attention, but their energy density is limited by the low capacity (<400 mAh g) and potential (<1 V vs Zn/Zn) of organic cathodes. Herein, we propose a long-life and high-rate Zn-organic battery that includes a poly(1,5-naphthalenediamine) cathode and a Zn anode in an alkaline electrolyte, where the cathode reaction is based on the coordination reaction between K and the C═N group (i.e.

Advanced Electrolyte Design for High-Energy-Density Li-Metal Batteries under Practical Conditions.

Given the limitations inherent in current intercalation-based Li-ion batteries, much research attention has focused on potential successors to Li-ion batteries such as lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries and lithium-oxygen (Li-O ) batteries. In order to realize the potential of these batteries, the use of metallic lithium as the anode is essential. However, there are severe safety hazards associated with the growth of Li dendrites, and the formation of "dead Li" during cycles leads to the inevitable loss of active Li, which in the end is undoubtedly detrimental to the actual energy density of Li-metal batteries.

Nickel Doping in Atomically Thin Tin Disulfide Nanosheets Enables Highly Efficient CO Reduction.

Engineering electronic properties by elemental doping is a direct strategy to design efficient catalysts towards CO electroreduction. Atomically thin SnS nanosheets were modified by Ni doping for efficient electroreduction of CO . The introduction of Ni into SnS nanosheets significantly enhanced the current density and Faradaic efficiency for carbonaceous product relative to pristine SnS nanosheets.

Achieving the Widest Range of Syngas Proportions at High Current Density over Cadmium Sulfoselenide Nanorods in CO Electroreduction.

Electroreduction of CO is a sustainable approach to produce syngas with controllable ratios, which are required as specific reactants for the optimization of different industrial processes. However, it is challenging to achieve tunable syngas production with a wide ratio of CO/H , while maintaining a high current density. Herein, cadmium sulfoselenide (CdS Se ) alloyed nanorods are developed, which enable the widest range of syngas proportions ever reported at the current density above 10 mA cm in CO electroreduction.