Batteries & Supercaps最新文献

The Cover Feature illustrates atomic layer deposition of an Mn−Fe oxide catalyst that coats carbon particles in the air electrode of a Zn–air battery. This catalyst enhances the efficiency and stability of Zn–air batteries, so that they can be used for energy storage for intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. More information can be found in the Research Article by D. G. Ivey and co-workers (DOI: 10.1002/batt.202400133).

The Front Cover shows how the sluggish (de)intercalation of Mg²⁺ in MoS₂ cathode materials was overcome by using Mg²⁺/Li⁺ dual-salt electrolytes. The simultaneous insertion of Mg²⁺ and Li⁺ ions notably boosted the electrochemical performance of MoS₂ in rechargeable magnesium batteries allowing the cell to achieve a remarkable initial specific capacity of 100 mAh g⁻¹, almost three times higher than the specific capacity of MoS₂ in Mg single-salt electrolytes. More information can be found in the Research Article by O. Falyouna, T. Mandai and co-workers (DOI: 10.1002/batt.202400231).

Increasing energy density without sacrificing the lifetime, power and cyclability of electrochemical capacitors is a very important goal. However, most efforts are directed toward the improvement of active charge-storing materials, while the design of devices and minimization of the weight/volume of the passive component have received less attention. We propose here a mathematical model of a carbon supercapacitor in organic electrolyte, which establishes a relationship between the specific capacitance of a device, the thickness of its electrodes, and the weight of its passive components (case, external current leads, current collectors, etc.). The model was built based on experimentally obtained dependences and has been validated using experiments with electrodes made of two porous carbon materials. Regardless of the pore size distribution in the specified range of electrode thicknesses, the functional dependence of the electrode's specific capacitance on the thickness is well described within the linear approximation. The developed model enables optimization of the electrode thickness, thus maximizing specific energy density for a chosen carbon electrode material.

Rechargeable lithium-oxygen batteries (LOBs) are gaining interest as next-generation energy storage devices due to their superior theoretical energy density. While recent years have seen successful operation of LOBs with high cell-level energy density, the technology for cell fabrication is still in its infancy. This is because the cell fabrication procedure for LOBs is quite different from that of conventional lithium-ion batteries. The study presents a fully automated sequential robotic experimental setup for the fabrication of stacked-type LOB cells. This approach allows for high accuracy and high throughput fabrication of the cells. The developed system enables the fabrication of over 80 cells per day, which is 10 times higher than conventional human-based experiments. In addition, the high alignment accuracy during the electrode stacking and electrolyte injection process results in improved battery performance and reproducibility. The effectiveness of the developed system was also confirmed by investigating a multi-component electrolyte to maximize battery performance. We believe the methodology demonstrated in the present study is beneficial for accelerating the research and development of LOBs.

The Nickel-based layered transition metal oxide cathode represented by NCM (LiNi_xCo_yMn_zO₂, x+y+z=1) and NCA (LiNi_xCo_yAl_zO₂, x+y+z=1) is widely used in the electric vehicle market due to its specific capacity and high working potential, in which Cobalt (Co) plays a huge role in improving the structural stability during the cycle. However, the limited supply of Co, due to its scarcity and the influence of geopolitics, poses a significant constraint on the further advancement of the Nickel-based layered transition metal oxide cathode in the field of energy storage. In this paper, the mechanism of Co in the Nickel-based layered transition metal oxides is reviewed, including its critical role for structural stability such as the inhibition of cationic mixing and the release of lattice oxygen et al. Subsequently, it outlines various strategies to enhance the performance of Co-lean/free materials, such as ion doping, including single-ion doping and multi-ion co-doping, and various surface coating strategies, so as to eliminate the adverse effects of Co loss on materials. Ultimately, this paper offers a glimpse into the promising future of Cobalt-free strategies for high performance of Nickel-based layered transition metal oxides.

The new energy market is growing rapidly, lithium batteries (LBs) as the most important source of energy supply in the energy storage and power market, has higher requirements for fast charge and long life, so it is necessary to improve the cell voltage and energy density of LBs. However, LBs with high voltage and high energy density will face serious challenges of electrolyte decomposition and electrode corrosion in high voltage environment. Herein, this review summarizes the effects of a series of sultones as electrolyte additives in high voltage electrolytes. It is found that DTD, ES, 1,3-PS, PES, PCS, MMDS, BDTD, BDTT, DTDph, ODTO, FPS, VES and other sultones have excellent properties on stabilizing SEI/CEI formation, inhibiting gas production, and good high temperature resistance. The preferential oxidation/reduction of sultones can protect the electrolyte from decomposition, and the uniform and dense SEI/CEI can also promote Li⁺ transport, protect the electrode from corrosion, prevent the growth of lithium dendrites, and promote the insertion and removal of Li⁺, so as to improve the cycle life of the high-voltage battery. Therefore, sultones are very suitable as high-voltage LBs electrolyte additives to improve the performance of cells. This review can provide theoretical support for the design of high voltage and high energy density LBs electrolyte and selection of additives in the future.

Germanium (Ge) is demonstrated to be prospective as a lithium-ion battery anode material, yet the cycling stability is undermined by substantial volume fluctuations, restricting its viability for practical applications. Here, we present a facile Zn-based metal−organic framework (MOF) engaged route to produce Ge nanoparticles in situ encapsulated in nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon (denoted as Ge@N-C) as an anode material. This method uses a zinc-triazolate MOF (MET-6) and commercial GeO₂ as the hybrid carbon and Ge precursors. After a heating treatment, the Ge@N-C composite is readily obtained along with the simultaneous thermal decomposition of MET-6 and the reduction of GeO₂. Benefiting from the mesoporous structure and high electrical conductivity of N−C, along with the strong interaction between Ge and N−C, the obtained Ge@N-C electrode exhibits a significant reversible charge capacity of 1012.8 mAh g⁻¹ after 150 cycles at 0.1 A g⁻¹, and excellent rate capability. Furthermore, a reversible charge capacity of 521.1 mAh g⁻¹ can be maintained at 5.0 A g⁻¹ after 1000 cycles.

For rechargeable magnesium batteries, chlorine-containing electrolytes are used because chlorine species reduce the energy barrier for the intercalation process at the cathode. However, these species can cause corrosion of the cathode-side current collectors during polarization. In this study, carbon-coated aluminum and Nickel metal substrates, as well as a graphite foil, were investigated using Linear Sweep Voltammetry, Chronoamperometry, and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy to evaluate their potential as current collectors in APC electrolyte. The graphite-based current collector withstood corrosive environments at polarization potentials up to 2 V, displaying passivating behavior comparable to platinum in Chronoamperometry measurements. During Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy measurements, the graphite foil exhibited exceptionally high polarization resistance of at least 4.5 MΩ cm². Combined with its low areal density of 5 mg/cm⁻², this makes it an excellent current collector material for rechargeable magnesium batteries with chlorine-containing electrolytes. In contrast, Al foil are instable towards corrosion – despite protective coatings.