Exploring the Parameters Controlling Product Selectivity in Electrochemical CO Reduction in Competition with Hydrogen Evolution Employing Manganese Bipyridine Complexes.

Selective reduction of CO is an efficient solution for producing nonfossil-based chemical feedstocks and simultaneously alleviating the increasing atmospheric concentration of this greenhouse gas. With this aim, molecular electrocatalysts are being extensively studied, although selectivity remains an issue. In this work, a combined experimental-computational study explores how the molecular structure of Mn-based complexes determines the dominant product in the reduction of CO to HCOOH, CO, and H.

Bi-Based Electrode Materials for Alkali Metal-Ion Batteries.

Alkali metal (Li, Na, K) ion batteries with high energy density are urgently required for large-scale energy storage applications while the lack of advanced anode materials restricts their development. Recently, Bi-based materials have been recognized as promising electrode candidates for alkali metal-ion batteries due to their high volumetric capacity and suitable operating potential. Herein, the latest progress of Bi-based electrode materials for alkali metal-ion batteries is summarized, mainly focusing on synthesis strategies, structural features, storage mechanisms, and the corresponding electrochemical performance.

Natural stibnite ore (SbS) embedded in sulfur-doped carbon sheets: enhanced electrochemical properties as anode for sodium ions storage.

Antimony sulfide (SbS) has drawn widespread attention as an ideal candidate anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to its high specific capacity of 946 mA h g in conversion and alloy reactions. Nevertheless, volume expansion, a common flaw for conversion-alloy type materials during the sodiation and desodiation processes, is bad for the structure of materials and thus obstructs the application of antimony sulfide in energy storage. A common approach to solve this problem is by introducing carbon or other matrices as buffer material.

Yolk-Shell-Structured Bismuth@N-Doped Carbon Anode for Lithium-Ion Battery with High Volumetric Capacity.

As an anode for lithium-ion batteries, metallic bismuth (Bi) can provide a superb volumetric capacity of 3800 mA h cm, showing perspective value for application. It is a pity that the severe volume swelling during the lithiation process leads to the dramatic deterioration of the cycling performances. To overcome this issue, Bi nanorods encapsulated in N-doped carbon nanotubes (yolk-shell Bi@C-N) are elaborately designed through in situ thermal reduction of BiS@polypyrrole nanorods.

Molecular-Level CuS@S Hybrid Nanosheets Constructed by Mineral Chemistry for Energy Storage Systems.

The transition-metal sulfide, CuS, is deemed a promising material for energy storage, mainly derived from its good chemisorption and conductivity, although serious capacity fading limits its advancement within reversible lithium storage. Learning from the gold extraction method utilizing the lime-sulfur-synthetic-solution, a CuS@S hybrid utilizing CaS as both sulfur resource and reductant-oxidant is prepared, which is an efficient approach to apply the metallurgy for the preparation of electrode materials. Regulating the amount of CuCl, the CuS@S is induced to reach a molecular-level hybrid.

N-Rich carbon-coated CoS ultrafine nanocrystals derived from ZIF-67 as an advanced anode for sodium-ion batteries.

Transition metal sulfides (TMSs) have been extensively studied as electrode materials for sodium-ion batteries by virtue of their high theoretical capacity. However, the poor cyclability limits the practical application of TMSs in sodium ion batteries. In this study, N-rich carbon-coated CoS ultrafine nanocrystal (CoS@NC) was prepared by utilizing ZIF-67 as a precursor through continuous carbonization and sulfuration processes, exhibiting ultrafine nanocrystals with a diameter of about 5 nm.