Batteries & Supercaps最新文献

The push to use metallic lithium-based batteries motivates a shift toward the use of solid polymer electrolytes. To improve the ionic conductivity values of such electrolytes, liquid additives (plasticizers) are usually added. However, the improvement in conductivity comes at the expense of a deterioration of the anode–electrolyte interface, resulting in poorer electrochemical cell performance. In this study, the use of a polymer coating consisting of polyethylene oxide, LiTFSI, and LiNO₃ is proposed. The coating shows improved electrochemical performance and stability, delayed cell failure and a more uniform distribution of Li deposits. These improvements are attributed to the increased stability of the solid electrolyte interphase, which is confirmed by using a combination of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In contrast, it is found that the interphase in uncoated Li electrodes is likely affected by continuous reactions with the plasticizer, further confirming the need to use such protective coatings to achieve long-term operation in practical solid-state Li metal batteries.

Optimizing the manufacturing process of Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIB. Finding efficient approaches that accelerate and replace time-consuming, material scrap-expensive trials-and-error optimization methods is a key area of research. This work presents a comprehensive LIB electrode manufacturing framework that combines physics-based simulations with deep learning. This framework efficiently simulates the manufacturing process of LIB electrodes as a function of their formulation. This framework takes the form of a surrogate manufacturing model able to predict the impact of manufacturing parameters on the electrode microstructure and properties. The model is based on a regressor-inspired variational autoencoder method. The analysis of the data and the predicted electrode functional metrics demonstrates the consistency of the approach with an electrode manufacturing model developed on the basis of physics. The reported framework holds significant promise in paving near real time optimization of LIB electrode manufacturing and supporting the optimization of battery cell design in pilot lines.

Magnesium (Mg) is an abundant resource, and rechargeable Mg metal batteries (RMMBs) could help to achieve a sustainable society. However, practical Mg batteries require electrolyte materials compatible with both positive and negative Mg metal electrodes. Weakly coordinating anion (WCA)-based electrolytes meet these requirements and have had a groundbreaking impact on this field of research. In this study, the effects of multidentate oligoether additives on the structural characteristics of WCA-based electrolytes are examined. Integrating a linear oligoether of hexaglyme (G6) is found to be particularly effective at enhancing Mg plating/stripping performance, whereas the corresponding cyclic counterparts impart inferior performance. The combined electrochemical and spectroscopic analyses suggest that changes in the coordination environments of Mg²⁺ in solution with a specific amount of G6 are responsible for the enhanced interfacial charge-transfer kinetics. The results of this study will help guide the design of fully ethereal RMMB electrolytes compatible with highly reactive Mg metal-negative electrodes.

The Front Cover shows the layout of the automated robotic battery materials research platform Aurora automating battery electrolyte formulation, battery cell assembly, and battery cell cycling into a stepwise, automated, application-relevant workflow. A large structured dataset with ontologized metadata detailing cell assembly and cycling protocols, alongside corresponding time series cycling data for almost 200 cells is provided as open research data. More information can be found in the Research Article by C. Battaglia and co-workers (DOI: 10.1002/batt.202500151).

Organic cathode-active materials with higher redox potential and specific capacity are significant in achieving higher energy density. However, the exploration of new active materials, including their design and synthesis, based on professional experience comes up against limitations. The work detailed in the Research Article by Y. Oaki and co-workers (DOI: 10.1002/batt.202500288) presents new performance prediction models for these materials, such as for their potential and capacity. The predictors enable the accelerated discovery of new high-performance organic cathode-active materials, such as those used in electric vehicles, drones, and high-altitude platform stations.

Solid-state sodium batteries (SSSBs) offer high energy density with improved safety, making them an appealing candidate for long-range mobility applications. Considering the advances in SSSBs, ionic conduction is no longer a critical barrier. However, the instability of the electrode/electrolyte interface remains a hurdle, limiting cycling stability and cathode utilization. The compatibility between the electrode/electrolyte is often established by a small amount of liquid/polymer electrolyte. The solid–liquid interphase (SOLI) instead of the solid–solid interface plays a crucial role in deciding the performance of SSSBs. SOLI is a key component of the existing SSSBs, facilitating ion transport while mitigating interfacial resistance. The intricate, but essential, characteristics of SOLI, namely the composition, distribution, and ionic properties of the interfaces, are highlighted. This review highlights the key design strategies for optimizing the SOLI, including electrolyte engineering, interphase material selection, and the use of multiphase interphases to balance cell performance. Moreover, advanced characterization techniques are discussed, along with recent breakthroughs in SOLI research. This review aims to provide insights into overcoming the challenges of SOLI to enhance the electrochemical performance and long-term stability of SSSBs. A thorough understanding of SOLI engineering will pave the way for practical, safe, and long-lasting high-performance SSSBs.

Herein, the synthesis of Ti₃C₂T_x(exf)@h-BN@Co₃O₄ and its electrochemical performances as an active cathode material in a flexible all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) is presented. A hierarchical heterostructure has been created by integrating nanometer-thin exfoliated Ti₃C₂T_x(exf) MXene sheets with a 2-D layered hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and immobilizing Co₃O₄ nanorods on the surface. h-BN and Co₃O₄ offer rich redox features and highly conductive Ti₃C₂T_x facilitates the charge transfer process. To prepare the anode of ASC, a spent tea-derived porous carbon (PC) was used. An ASC device (Ti₃C₂T_x(exf)@h-BN@Co₃O₄//PC) was assembled with PVA-KOH gel-electrolyte. This device exhibited a specific capacitance of 105.8 F g⁻¹ at a current density of 0.5 A g⁻¹, an energy density of 33.0 W h kg⁻¹ at a power density of 375 W kg⁻¹, and retention of ≈90% of its initial capacitance and ≈85% of its Coulombic efficiency after 5000 charge-discharge cycles. To gain an in-depth understanding of the electronic band structure of Ti₃C₂@h-BN@Co₃O_4, computational investigations were carried out. The calculated value of quantum capacitance of Ti₃C₂@h-BN@Co₃O₄ was 59.16 μFcm⁻² at 2.67 V (positive bias). This work highlights the exceptional performance and durability of Ti₃C₂T_x(exf)@h-BN@Co₃O₄ ternary heterostructure and positions it as a highly promising candidate for next-generation supercapacitors.

Prussian blue analogs (PBAs) have shown great promise as cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to their easy synthesis, affordability, structural adaptability, and high theoretical capacity. However, despite their considerable potential, there are still several performance challenges that hinder their practical use. This review thoroughly explores the structures of PBAs and their electrochemical reaction mechanisms, systematically summarizing current synthesis methods and modification techniques while providing forward-looking insights. Additionally, the industrial viability of PBAs is assessed from a commercialization standpoint. By examining advanced synthesis methods, material optimization strategies, and challenges in industrial development, this work aims to provide both theoretical guidance and technical prospects for enhancing the application of PBAs in practical SIBs.

Efficient characterization of battery materials is fundamental to understanding the underlying electrochemical mechanisms and ensuring the safe operation of batteries. In this work, an innovative data-driven multimodal generative method is proposed to accelerate the characterization and screening of battery materials. This approach leverages a variant of the latent diffusion model, which combines a variational autoencoder (VAE) and a denoising U-Net. The VAE maps microscale information from characterization techniques, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), into a common latent space, and the denoising U-net, conditioned on battery properties, guides the screening of battery materials. Together, the data-driven properties of material space, enriched with battery functional properties and formulated in a common latent space, achieve the accurate translation of information from AFM to meaningful material descriptors and accelerate the screening of battery materials to meet the functional needs of the battery system under consideration.

Operando X-ray scattering techniques, particularly small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS), have been key for elucidating the physicochemical processes governing liquid-electrolyte batteries by providing real-time insights into phase transformations and nanoscale structural evolution. However, extending these methods to all-solid-state batteries has been experimentally challenging due to high X-ray absorption and nonideal operating pressures in transmission mode. Here a novel operando electrochemical cell design is presented that enables cross-sectional scanning SAXS/WAXS measurements, while maintaining the pressure necessary for solid-state operation. Applying this scanning SAXS/WAXS technique to all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries, it enables simultaneous mapping of the crystalline phase evolution and the nanoscale structural changes across distinct cell components during cycling. Spatially resolved WAXS revealed significant heterogeneity in the formation and distribution of Li₂S within the composite cathode. Simultaneously, WAXS captured an anisotropic lithiation mechanism in the Li–In anode, evidenced by the preferential disruption of In(110) planes and suggesting amorphous LiIn formation. Combined analysis of stable SAXS profiles and WAXS-derived Li₂S nanocrystallite sizes suggest that the sulfur conversion occurs within the nanopores of the templated carbon host. Control experiments using a liquid-electrolyte Li–S system validated the technique's sensitivity to detect expected nanoscale changes, confirming the genuineness of the solid-state observations.