Energy & Environmental Materials最新文献

Carbon fibers (CFs) are widely used in cutting-edge and civilian fields due to their excellent comprehensive properties such as high strength and high modulus, superior corrosion and friction resistances, excellent thermal stability, light weight, and high electrical conductivity. However, their natural ultra-black appearance is difficult to meet the aesthetic needs of today's civilian sector and the need for optical stealth in the military field. In addition, conventional coloring methods are difficult to effectively adhere to CF surfaces due to high crystallinity and highly inert surface caused by their graphite-like structure. In this work, inspired by the nacre structural color of pearls, colored CFs with 1D photonic crystal structure are prepared by cyclically depositing amorphous (Al₂O₃ + TiO₂) layers on the surface of carbon CFs through atomic layer deposition (ALD). The obtained CFs exhibit brilliant colors and excellent environmental durability in extreme environments. Moreover, the colored CFs also exhibit high EMI shielding effectiveness (45 dB) and optical stealth properties, which can be used in emerging optical devices and electromagnetic and optical stealth equipment.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries encounter impediments on their trajectory towards commercialization, primarily due to challenges such as dendritic growth, hydrogen evolution reaction. Throughout recent decades of investigation, electrolyte modulation by using function additives is widely considered as a facile and efficient way to prolong the Zn anode lifespan. Herein, N-(2-hydroxypropyl)ethylenediamine is employed as an additive to attach onto the Zn surface with a substantial adsorption energy with (002) facet. The as-formed in-situ solid-electrolyte interphase layer effectively mitigates hydrogen evolution reaction by constructing a lean-water internal Helmholtz layer. Additionally, N-(2-hydroxypropyl)ethylenediamine establishes a coordination complex with Zn²⁺, thereby modulating the solvation structure and enhancing the mobility of Zn²⁺. As expected, the Zn-symmetrical cell with N-(2-hydroxypropyl)ethylenediamine additive demonstrated successful cycling exceeding 1500 h under 1 mA cm⁻² for 0.5 mAh cm⁻². Furthermore, the Zn//δ-MnO₂ battery maintains a capacity of approximately 130 mAh g⁻¹ after 800 cycles at 1 A g⁻¹, with a Coulombic efficiency surpassing 98%. This work presents a streamlined approach for realizing aqueous zinc-ion batteries with extended service life.

Li/Mn-rich layered oxide (LMR) cathode active materials offer remarkably high specific discharge capacity (>250 mAh g⁻¹) from both cationic and anionic redox. The latter necessitates harsh charging conditions to high cathode potentials (>4.5 V vs Li|Li⁺), which is accompanied by lattice oxygen release, phase transformation, voltage fade, and transition metal (TM) dissolution. In cells with graphite anode, TM dissolution is particularly detrimental as it initiates electrode crosstalk. Lithium difluorophosphate (LiDFP) is known for its pivotal role in suppressing electrode crosstalk through TM scavenging. In LMR || graphite cells charged to an upper cutoff voltage (UCV) of 4.5 V, effective TM scavenging effects of LiDFP are observed. In contrast, for an UCV of 4.7 V, the scavenging effects are limited due to more severe TM dissolution compared an UCV of 4.5 V. Given the saturation in solubility of the TM scavenging agents, which are LiDFP decomposition products, e.g., PO₄³⁻ and PO₃F²⁻, higher concentrations of the LiDFP as “precursor” cannot enhance the amount of scavenging species, they rather start to precipitate and damage the anode.

This study presents a novel Li metal host material with a unique hollow nano-spherical structure that incorporates Ag nano-seeds into a graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) shell layer, referred to as g-C₃N₄@Ag hollow spheres. The g-C₃N₄@Ag spheres provide a managed internal site for Li metal encapsulation and promote stable Li plating. The g-C₃N₄ spheres are uniformly coated using polydopamine, which has an adhesive nature, to enhance lithium plating/stripping stability. The strategic presence of Ag nano-seeds eliminates the nucleation barrier, properly directing Li growth within the hollow spheres. This design facilitates highly reversible and consistent lithium deposition, offering a promising direction for the production of high-performance lithium metal anodes. These well-designed g-C₃N₄@Ag hollow spheres ensure stable Li plating/stripping kinetics over more than 500 cycles with a high coulombic efficiency of over 97%. Furthermore, a full cell made using LiNi_0.90Co_0.07Mn_0.03O₂ and Li-g-C₃N₄@Ag host electrodes demonstrated highly competitive performance over 200 cycles, providing a guide for the implementation of this technology in advanced lithium metal batteries.

Lithium metal batteries are the most promising next-generation energy storage technologies due to their high energy density. However, their practical application is impeded by serious interfacial side reactions and uncontrolled dendrite growth of lithium metal anode. Herein, copper 2,4,5-trifluorophenylacetate is designed and explored to stabilize lithium metal anode by in-situ constructing a dense and mixed-conductive interfacial protective layer. The formed passivated layer not only significantly inhibits interfacial side reactions by avoiding direct contact between lithium metal anode and electrolyte but also effectively suppresses lithium dendrite growth due to the unique inorganic-rich compositions and mixed-conductive properties. As a result, the copper 2,4,5-trifluorophenylacetate-treated lithium metal anodes show greatly improved cycle stability under both high current density and high areal deposition capacity. Notably, the assembled liquid symmetrical cells with copper 2,4,5-trifluorophenylacetate-treated lithium metal anodes can stably work for more than 3000, 5000, and 4800 h at 1.0 mA cm⁻²–1.0 mAh cm⁻², 2.0 mA cm⁻²–5.0 mAh cm⁻², and 10 mA cm⁻²–5.0 mAh cm⁻², respectively. Furthermore, the assembled liquid full cell with a high LiFePO₄ loading (~16.9 mg cm⁻²) shows a significantly enhanced cycle life of 250 cycles with stable Coulombic efficiencies (>99.1%). Moreover, the assembled all-solid-state lithium metal battery with a high LiNi_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2O₂ loading (~5.0 mg cm⁻²) also exhibits improved cycle stability. These findings underline that the copper 2,4,5-trifluorophenylacetate-treated lithium metal anodes show great promise for high-performance lithium metal batteries.

The surface reconstruction behavior of transition metal phosphides precursors is considered as an important method to prepare efficient oxygen evolution catalysts, but there are still significant challenges in guiding catalyst design at the atomic scale. Here, the CoP nanowire with excellent water splitting performance and stability is used as a catalytic model to study the reconstruction process. Obvious double redox signals and valence evolution behavior of the Co site are observed, corresponding to Co²⁺/Co³⁺ and Co³⁺/Co⁴⁺ caused by auto-oxidation process. Importantly, the in situ Raman spectrum exhibits the vibration signal of Co–OH in the non-Faradaic potential interval for oxygen evolution reaction, which is considered the initial step in reconstruction process. Density functional theory and ab initio molecular dynamics are used to elucidate this process at the atomic scale: First, OH⁻ exhibits a lower adsorption energy barrier and proton desorption energy barrier at the configuration surface, which proposes the formation of a single oxygen (–O) group. Under a higher –O group coverage, the Co–P bond is destroyed along with the PO_x groups. Subsequently, lower P vacancy formation energy confirm that the Ni-CoP configuration can fast transform into a highly active phase. Based on the optimized reconstruction behavior and rate-limiting barrier, the Ni-CoP nanowire exhibit an excellent overpotential of 1.59 V at 10 mA cm⁻² for overall water splitting, which demonstrates low degradation (2.62%) during the 100 mA cm⁻² for 100 h. This work provide systematic insights into the atomic-level reconstruction mechanism of transition metal phosphides, which benefit further design of water splitting catalysts.

Piezocomposites with both flexibility and electromechanical conversion characteristics have been widely applied in various fields, including sensors, energy harvesting, catalysis, and biomedical treatment. In the composition of piezocomposites or their preparation process, a category of materials is commonly employed that do not possess piezoelectric properties themselves but play a crucial role in performance enhancement. In this review, the concept of auxiliary phase is first proposed to define these materials, aiming to provide a new perspective for designing high-performance piezocomposites. Three different categories of modulation forms of auxiliary phase in piezocomposites are systematically summarized, including the modification of piezo-matrix, the modification of piezo-fillers, and the construction of special structures. Each category emphasizes the role of the auxiliary phase and systematically discusses the latest advancements and the physical mechanisms of the auxiliary phase enhanced flexible piezocomposites. Finally, a summary and future outlook of piezocomposites based on the auxiliary phase are provided.

The replacement of non-aqueous organic electrolytes with solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) in solid-state lithium metal batteries (SLMBs) is considered a promising strategy to address the constraints of lithium-ion batteries, especially in terms of energy density and reliability. Nevertheless, few SLMBs can deliver the required cycling performance and long-term stability for practical use, primarily due to suboptimal interface properties. Given the diverse solidification pathways leading to different interface characteristics, it is crucial to pinpoint the source of interface deterioration and develop appropriate remedies. This review focuses on Li|SSE interface issues between lithium metal anode and SSE, discussing recent advancements in the understanding of (electro)chemistry, the impact of defects, and interface evolutions that vary among different SSE species. The state-of-the-art strategies concerning modified SEI, artificial interlayer, surface architecture, and composite structure are summarized and delved into the internal relationships between interface characteristics and performance enhancements. The current challenges and opportunities in characterizing and modifying the Li|SSE interface are suggested as potential directions for achieving practical SLMBs.

Point source CO₂ capture (PSCC) is crucial for decarbonizing various industrial sectors, while direct air capture (DAC) holds promise for removing CO₂ directly from the air. Sorbents play a critical role in both technologies, with their performances, efficiency, cost, etc., largely depending on which type is used (physical or chemical). Solid amine sorbents (SAS) employed in the chemical adsorption of CO₂ are suitable for both PSCC and DAC. SAS offer significant advantages over liquid amines such as monoethanolamine (MEA), due to their ability to perform cyclic adsorption–desorption with much lower energy requirement. The environmental concern associated with MEA can be mitigated by SAS. Support materials have a significantly important role in stabilizing amine and enhancing stability and kinetics; varieties of support materials have been screened at a laboratory scale. One promising support material is a silica gel (SG), which is commercially available and attractive for designing cost-effective sorbents for large-scale CO₂ capture. Various impregnation methods such as physical adsorption and covalent functionalization have been employed to functionalize silica surfaces with amines. This review provided a comprehensive critical analysis of SG-based SAS for CO₂ capture. We discussed and evaluated them in terms of their adsorption capacity, adsorption, and desorption conditions, and the kinetics involved in these processes. Finally, we proposed a few recommendations for further development of low-cost, lower carbon footprint SAS for large-scale deployment of CO₂ capture technology.

The growing demand for flexible, lightweight, and highly processable electronic devices makes high-functionality conducting polymers such as poly (3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene): polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) an attractive alternative to conventional inorganic materials for various applications including thermoelectrics. However, considerable improvements are necessary to make conducting polymers a commercially viable choice for thermoelectric applications. This study explores nanopatterning as an effective and unique strategy for enhancing polymer functionality to optimize thermoelectric parameters, such as electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductivity. Introducing nanopatterning into thermoelectric polymers is challenging due to intricate technical hurdles and the necessity for individually manipulating the interdependent thermoelectric parameters. Here, array nanopatterns with different pattern spacings are imposed on free-standing PEDOT:PSS films using direct electron beam irradiation, thereby achieving selective control of electrical and thermal transport in PEDOT:PSS. Electron beam irradiation transformed PEDOT:PSS from a highly ordered quinoid to an amorphous benzoid structure. Optimized pattern spacing resulted in a remarkable 70% reduction in thermal conductivity and a 60% increase in thermoelectric figure of merit compared to non-patterned PEDOT:PSS. The proposed nanopatterning methodology demonstrates a skillful approach to precisely manipulate the thermoelectric parameters, thereby improving the thermoelectric performance of conducting polymers, and promising utilization in cutting-edge electronic applications.