Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2026.120886
Said M.A. Ibrahim , Abdelrahman A. Shaheen
Improving building energy efficiency in hot arid climates remains a critical challenge for sustainable development. This study investigates the thermal performance optimization of a residential building in Cairo, Egypt, by integrating phase change materials (PCMs) with advanced enhancement techniques. Using Design Builder for dynamic simulations, the research evaluates various configurations: a baseline building, pure PCM integration, nano enhanced PCMs (NePCM) using Al₂O₃, CuO, and silica aerogel, metallic fins (aluminum and copper), and hybrid NePCM fin systems. The results indicate that the baseline building's annual energy demand of 211.64kWh/m2 was reduced by 17.3% through PCM integration alone. Among NePCMs, silica aerogel at 3 vol% achieved only marginal improvement (174.53 kWh/m2), while Al₂O₃ and CuO nanoparticles increased energy consumption. Conversely, fin-assisted PCMs provided superior results; 1 mm copper fins reduced annual demand to 150.99kWh/m2, a 28.7% saving over the baseline. Analysis of peak summer day loads revealed that PCM integration achieved a 29.6% reduction in peak demand, with copper fins maintaining a stable operative temperature of 26.5 °C and significantly enhancing indoor thermal comfort by improving the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV). The hybrid system (NePCM with copper fins) yielded the maximum energy saving of 28.8% (150.69kWh/m2). The study concludes that thin copper fins are more effective and practical than nanoparticles for energy reduction and peak shaving in hot arid regions, offering a robust solution for improving cooling efficiency and indoor climate stability.
{"title":"Thermal performance enhancement of a building using nano enhanced phase change materials (PCMs) and metallic fins","authors":"Said M.A. Ibrahim , Abdelrahman A. Shaheen","doi":"10.1016/j.est.2026.120886","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.est.2026.120886","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Improving building energy efficiency in hot arid climates remains a critical challenge for sustainable development. This study investigates the thermal performance optimization of a residential building in Cairo, Egypt, by integrating phase change materials (PCMs) with advanced enhancement techniques. Using Design Builder for dynamic simulations, the research evaluates various configurations: a baseline building, pure PCM integration, nano enhanced PCMs (NePCM) using Al₂O₃, CuO, and silica aerogel, metallic fins (aluminum and copper), and hybrid NePCM fin systems. The results indicate that the baseline building's annual energy demand of 211.64kWh/m<sup>2</sup> was reduced by 17.3% through PCM integration alone. Among NePCMs, silica aerogel at 3 vol% achieved only marginal improvement (174.53 kWh/m<sup>2</sup>), while Al₂O₃ and CuO nanoparticles increased energy consumption. Conversely, fin-assisted PCMs provided superior results; 1 mm copper fins reduced annual demand to 150.99kWh/m<sup>2</sup>, a 28.7% saving over the baseline. Analysis of peak summer day loads revealed that PCM integration achieved a 29.6% reduction in peak demand, with copper fins maintaining a stable operative temperature of 26.5 °C and significantly enhancing indoor thermal comfort by improving the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV). The hybrid system (NePCM with copper fins) yielded the maximum energy saving of 28.8% (150.69kWh/m<sup>2</sup>). The study concludes that thin copper fins are more effective and practical than nanoparticles for energy reduction and peak shaving in hot arid regions, offering a robust solution for improving cooling efficiency and indoor climate stability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of energy storage","volume":"153 ","pages":"Article 120886"},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146098541","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-02-12DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2026.121048
Ruirui Yang , Yuqiong Liu , Mengjia Zhao , Haochang Guo , Yue zhang , Jiamin Chao , Yuqi Liu , Haiyan Yan , Zhenguo Liu , Zhenjun Wang
As a key material in the fields of new energy and electronic components, carbon-based conductive slurry plays a crucial role in promoting the development of energy storage technologies due to its green characteristics and excellent electrochemical performance. This paper systematically reviews the classification system, preparation processes, performance characterization methods, and multi-dimensional applications of carbon-based conductive slurry in the energy storage field. The results show that graphite conductive slurry is widely used in electromagnetic shielding due to its high-temperature resistance and chemical stability. Carbon black conductive slurry enhances battery lifespan by constructing conductive networks. Graphene and carbon nanotube conductive slurries significantly optimize the performance of lithium-ion batteries, supercapacitors, and solar cells due to their high conductivity and energy storage properties. In terms of preparation processes, ball milling dispersion achieves efficient graphene dispersion through high-frequency collisions, ultrasonic dispersion reduces surface energy using cavitation effects, and stirring dispersion optimizes slurry uniformity by adjusting parameters. Among them, reduced graphene oxide conductive slurry prepared by ball milling exhibits excellent stability and electrochemical performance in the positive electrode of lithium-ion batteries. Performance characterization reveals that scanning electron microscopy reveals the microscopic morphology of carbon-based materials, stability tests verify long-term slurry dispersion, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy analyze functional groups and defect structures, and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry quantifies slurry concentration and absorbance. In energy storage applications, carbon-based conductive slurry significantly improves battery cycle life and energy efficiency by enhancing the conductivity of positive and negative electrodes in lithium-ion batteries, optimizing electrode interfaces in supercapacitors, and enhancing the corrosion resistance of lead-acid battery grids. In the field of solar cells, it reduces electrode costs for crystalline silicon cells, prepares transparent conductive layers for thin-film cells, and optimizes hole transport layers in perovskite cells, promoting green manufacturing and flexible development of photovoltaic technologies. Additionally, carbon-based conductive slurry shows potential for improving electrode conductivity and enhancing reaction activity in sodium-ion batteries and flow batteries. This paper aims to provide theoretical foundations and technical references for material design, process optimization, and application expansion of carbon-based conductive slurry, promoting its large-scale and high-performance development in the new energy field.
{"title":"Preparation of carbon-based conductive slurry and its performance and role in energy storage field","authors":"Ruirui Yang , Yuqiong Liu , Mengjia Zhao , Haochang Guo , Yue zhang , Jiamin Chao , Yuqi Liu , Haiyan Yan , Zhenguo Liu , Zhenjun Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.est.2026.121048","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.est.2026.121048","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As a key material in the fields of new energy and electronic components, carbon-based conductive slurry plays a crucial role in promoting the development of energy storage technologies due to its green characteristics and excellent electrochemical performance. This paper systematically reviews the classification system, preparation processes, performance characterization methods, and multi-dimensional applications of carbon-based conductive slurry in the energy storage field. The results show that graphite conductive slurry is widely used in electromagnetic shielding due to its high-temperature resistance and chemical stability. Carbon black conductive slurry enhances battery lifespan by constructing conductive networks. Graphene and carbon nanotube conductive slurries significantly optimize the performance of lithium-ion batteries, supercapacitors, and solar cells due to their high conductivity and energy storage properties. In terms of preparation processes, ball milling dispersion achieves efficient graphene dispersion through high-frequency collisions, ultrasonic dispersion reduces surface energy using cavitation effects, and stirring dispersion optimizes slurry uniformity by adjusting parameters. Among them, reduced graphene oxide conductive slurry prepared by ball milling exhibits excellent stability and electrochemical performance in the positive electrode of lithium-ion batteries. Performance characterization reveals that scanning electron microscopy reveals the microscopic morphology of carbon-based materials, stability tests verify long-term slurry dispersion, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy analyze functional groups and defect structures, and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry quantifies slurry concentration and absorbance. In energy storage applications, carbon-based conductive slurry significantly improves battery cycle life and energy efficiency by enhancing the conductivity of positive and negative electrodes in lithium-ion batteries, optimizing electrode interfaces in supercapacitors, and enhancing the corrosion resistance of lead-acid battery grids. In the field of solar cells, it reduces electrode costs for crystalline silicon cells, prepares transparent conductive layers for thin-film cells, and optimizes hole transport layers in perovskite cells, promoting green manufacturing and flexible development of photovoltaic technologies. Additionally, carbon-based conductive slurry shows potential for improving electrode conductivity and enhancing reaction activity in sodium-ion batteries and flow batteries. This paper aims to provide theoretical foundations and technical references for material design, process optimization, and application expansion of carbon-based conductive slurry, promoting its large-scale and high-performance development in the new energy field.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of energy storage","volume":"153 ","pages":"Article 121048"},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-02-13DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2026.121015
Kumcham Prasad , Thupakula Venkata Madhukar Sreekanth , Salla Kamakshi , Sungbo Cho , Kisoo Yoo , Jonghoon Kim
The intrinsic low energy density of supercapacitors poses a significant barrier to their widespread acceptance and large-scale production. Therefore, multiple characteristics engendered into a single material have become the current research interest. Herein, we have developed a highly porous hydrangea flower-like CoMoO4 (CMO) featuring rich cationic vacancies and successfully embedded with CeO2 nanoparticles of different concentrations (10, 25 and 50 mM) via a facile two-step solvothermal strategy, labelled as CMCO–10, CMCO–25 and CMCO–50, respectively. The incorporation of CeO2 nanoparticles significantly improved the structural, morphological and surface characteristics. However, the distinctive 2D flakes-like units with many voids and pores that make up the optimized and hierarchical structure of CMCO-25 enable quick ion intercalation/deintercalation, followed by the faradaic redox reactions to encourage intercalation pseudocapacitance. Excellent electrochemical activity is facilitated by the numerous oxidation states of the multiple metal ions. Thus, the CMCO–25 cathode manifested an impressive specific capacitance of 1402.3 F g−1 at 1.0 A g−1, outperforming the other electrodes. Furthermore, we devised an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) using CMCO–25 cathode assembled with bamboo leaves-derived porous carbon (BLPC) anode operated in a potential window of 1.8 V. The device yielded a remarkable energy density of 129.88 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 1961.16 W kg−1 and delivered 96.97 Wh kg−1 even at a high-power density of 12,214.84 W kg−1. Therefore, this study delineates a viable strategy to develop composite electrode materials with vacancy engineering and novel charge storage mechanism for asymmetric supercapacitors with elevated energy densities.
超级电容器固有的低能量密度对其广泛接受和大规模生产构成了重大障碍。因此，在单一材料中产生多种特性已成为当前的研究热点。在此，我们开发了一种具有丰富阳离子空位的高多孔球状CoMoO4 (CMO)，并通过简单的两步溶剂热策略成功地嵌入了不同浓度（10、25和50 mM）的CeO2纳米颗粒，分别标记为CMCO-10、CMCO-25和CMCO-50。CeO2纳米颗粒的掺入显著改善了材料的结构、形态和表面特性。然而，独特的二维片状单元具有许多空隙和孔隙，构成了优化的CMCO-25分层结构，可以实现快速的离子插入/脱嵌，然后进行法拉第氧化还原反应，以促进插入赝电容。优异的电化学活性是由多种金属离子的众多氧化态促成的。因此，CMCO-25阴极在1.0 A g−1时表现出令人印象深刻的1402.3 F g−1比电容，优于其他电极。此外，我们设计了一种不对称超级电容器（ASC），该电容器采用CMCO-25阴极与竹叶衍生多孔碳（BLPC）阳极组装，在1.8 V的电位窗口下工作。该器件在功率密度为1961.16 W kg - 1时产生了129.88 Wh kg - 1的能量密度，在功率密度为12214.84 W kg - 1时产生了96.97 Wh kg - 1。因此，本研究为非对称高能量密度超级电容器开发具有空位工程和新型电荷存储机制的复合电极材料提供了可行的策略。
{"title":"Construction of CeO2@CoMoO4 hydrangea flower-like architectures: Insights into faradaic-dominated intercalation pseudocapacitance and high energy density supercapacitor using bio-mass derived porous carbon anode","authors":"Kumcham Prasad , Thupakula Venkata Madhukar Sreekanth , Salla Kamakshi , Sungbo Cho , Kisoo Yoo , Jonghoon Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.est.2026.121015","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.est.2026.121015","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The intrinsic low energy density of supercapacitors poses a significant barrier to their widespread acceptance and large-scale production. Therefore, multiple characteristics engendered into a single material have become the current research interest. Herein, we have developed a highly porous hydrangea flower-like CoMoO<sub>4</sub> (CMO) featuring rich cationic vacancies and successfully embedded with CeO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles of different concentrations (10, 25 and 50 mM) via a facile two-step solvothermal strategy, labelled as CMCO–10, CMCO–25 and CMCO–50, respectively. The incorporation of CeO<sub>2</sub> nanoparticles significantly improved the structural, morphological and surface characteristics. However, the distinctive 2D flakes-like units with many voids and pores that make up the optimized and hierarchical structure of CMCO-25 enable quick ion intercalation/deintercalation, followed by the faradaic redox reactions to encourage intercalation pseudocapacitance. Excellent electrochemical activity is facilitated by the numerous oxidation states of the multiple metal ions. Thus, the CMCO–25 cathode manifested an impressive specific capacitance of 1402.3 F g<sup>−1</sup> at 1.0 A g<sup>−1</sup>, outperforming the other electrodes. Furthermore, we devised an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) using CMCO–25 cathode assembled with bamboo leaves-derived porous carbon (BLPC) anode operated in a potential window of 1.8 V. The device yielded a remarkable energy density of 129.88 Wh kg<sup>−1</sup> at a power density of 1961.16 W kg<sup>−1</sup> and delivered 96.97 Wh kg<sup>−1</sup> even at a high-power density of 12,214.84 W kg<sup>−1</sup>. Therefore, this study delineates a viable strategy to develop composite electrode materials with vacancy engineering and novel charge storage mechanism for asymmetric supercapacitors with elevated energy densities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of energy storage","volume":"153 ","pages":"Article 121015"},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-02-12DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2026.121036
Runyu Zhang , Yudong Sui , Haiyan Yang , Yehua Jiang
Hydrogen is a clean, high-energy-density carrier crucial for carbon neutrality, but its practical use is limited by efficient storage. Magnesium hydride (MgH2) is promising for solid-state storage due to its ultra-high capacity (∼7.6 wt%) and environmental benignity, yet hindered by high operating temperatures (>623 K) and sluggish sorption kinetics. This work develops a flower-like NiMOF@C catalyst to improve MgH2's low-temperature performance and cyclic stability. In this work, a series of NiMOF-derived catalytic materials with a distinctive spherical flower-like morphology were synthesized by regulating the reaction temperature during the NiMOF fabrication process. The experimental results unequivocally demonstrated that the obtained NiMOF@C exhibited outstanding catalytic performance. This superior activity is primarily ascribed to its hierarchical flower-like microstructure, featuring a complex internal framework and abundant meso-macroporous cavities, which collectively contribute to a significantly enlarged specific surface area and a high density of accessible active sites. Among all the prepared composites, the MgH2 sample incorporating 5 wt% NiMOF@C manifested the most pronounced hydrogen storage behavior, maintaining excellent kinetics even under relatively mild thermodynamic conditions. Specifically, at 423 K and 2.6 MPa, the composite achieved a maximum hydrogen uptake of 6.47 wt%, with a rapid absorption of 6.03 wt% H2 within 10 min. Moreover, it exhibited remarkable reversibility, preserving 97.8% of its absorption and 97.4% of its desorption capacity after 20 consecutive cycles. Notably, the desorption activation energy (Ede) of MgH2–5 wt% NiMOF@C was substantially reduced to 91.03 kJ/mol, in sharp contrast to the 181.4 kJ/mol observed for pristine MgH2, confirming the pronounced catalytic effect of the NiMOF-derived carbonaceous phase.
{"title":"Partial carbonization of NiMOF for enhancing the hydrogen sorption/desorption performance of MgH2","authors":"Runyu Zhang , Yudong Sui , Haiyan Yang , Yehua Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.est.2026.121036","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.est.2026.121036","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydrogen is a clean, high-energy-density carrier crucial for carbon neutrality, but its practical use is limited by efficient storage. Magnesium hydride (MgH<sub>2</sub>) is promising for solid-state storage due to its ultra-high capacity (∼7.6 wt%) and environmental benignity, yet hindered by high operating temperatures (>623 K) and sluggish sorption kinetics. This work develops a flower-like NiMOF@C catalyst to improve MgH<sub>2</sub>'s low-temperature performance and cyclic stability. In this work, a series of NiMOF-derived catalytic materials with a distinctive spherical flower-like morphology were synthesized by regulating the reaction temperature during the NiMOF fabrication process. The experimental results unequivocally demonstrated that the obtained NiMOF@C exhibited outstanding catalytic performance. This superior activity is primarily ascribed to its hierarchical flower-like microstructure, featuring a complex internal framework and abundant meso-macroporous cavities, which collectively contribute to a significantly enlarged specific surface area and a high density of accessible active sites. Among all the prepared composites, the MgH<sub>2</sub> sample incorporating 5 wt% NiMOF@C manifested the most pronounced hydrogen storage behavior, maintaining excellent kinetics even under relatively mild thermodynamic conditions. Specifically, at 423 K and 2.6 MPa, the composite achieved a maximum hydrogen uptake of 6.47 wt%, with a rapid absorption of 6.03 wt% H<sub>2</sub> within 10 min. Moreover, it exhibited remarkable reversibility, preserving 97.8% of its absorption and 97.4% of its desorption capacity after 20 consecutive cycles. Notably, the desorption activation energy (E<sub>de</sub>) of MgH<sub>2</sub>–5 wt% NiMOF@C was substantially reduced to 91.03 kJ/mol, in sharp contrast to the 181.4 kJ/mol observed for pristine MgH<sub>2</sub>, confirming the pronounced catalytic effect of the NiMOF-derived carbonaceous phase.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of energy storage","volume":"153 ","pages":"Article 121036"},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2026.120542
Di Wu , Shiyang Yu , Ao Liu , Zhijian Liu , Zhuoying Liang , Shicong Zhang , Xinyan Yang , Guiqiang Li , Wentao Wu
The integration and utilization of renewable energy into the grid is key to building a clean and low-carbon energy system, but its intermittency and volatility cause significant wind and solar curtailment. To address this, this paper proposes a multi-energy storage system integrating electrical, thermal, and hydrogen storage. The system firstly uses Variational Mode Decomposition (VMD) to decompose and reconstruct the power difference between the source and the load. The power allocation based on the dynamic response characteristics of supercapacitors, hydrogen storage, and thermal storage tanks. Three progressive operating strategies are designed: baseline power allocation based on VMD (Strategy 1), adaptive VMD adjustment considering the state of charge (SOC) of energy storage (Strategy 2), and coordinated optimization introducing grid regulation (Strategy 3). An experimental platform focused on lithium batteries and supercapacitors was built to verify the feasibility of the power allocation and real-time adjustment strategies. Furthermore, the experimentally validated control strategies were applied to a simulation case of a Beijing community to conduct system modeling based on a physical model. Results show that Strategy 3 achieves zero SOC violation in energy storage, significantly outperforming Strategy 1 (which had a 47.5% violation rate) and Strategy 2 (37%), with operational costs reduced by 13.3% and 17.7% compared to Strategies 1 and 2, respectively, and a system excess capacity ratio of 0%. The conclusions indicate that the proposed VMD-based multi-energy storage coordinated optimization method, especially Strategy 3 combined with grid regulation, can effectively enhance system stability and economy, providing an effective solution for multi-energy system management in scenarios with a high proportion of renewable energy.
{"title":"Collaborative optimization operation method of electrical-thermal‑hydrogen multi-energy storage system based on variable mode decomposition","authors":"Di Wu , Shiyang Yu , Ao Liu , Zhijian Liu , Zhuoying Liang , Shicong Zhang , Xinyan Yang , Guiqiang Li , Wentao Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.est.2026.120542","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.est.2026.120542","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The integration and utilization of renewable energy into the grid is key to building a clean and low-carbon energy system, but its intermittency and volatility cause significant wind and solar curtailment. To address this, this paper proposes a multi-energy storage system integrating electrical, thermal, and hydrogen storage. The system firstly uses Variational Mode Decomposition (VMD) to decompose and reconstruct the power difference between the source and the load. The power allocation based on the dynamic response characteristics of supercapacitors, hydrogen storage, and thermal storage tanks. Three progressive operating strategies are designed: baseline power allocation based on VMD (Strategy 1), adaptive VMD adjustment considering the state of charge (SOC) of energy storage (Strategy 2), and coordinated optimization introducing grid regulation (Strategy 3). An experimental platform focused on lithium batteries and supercapacitors was built to verify the feasibility of the power allocation and real-time adjustment strategies. Furthermore, the experimentally validated control strategies were applied to a simulation case of a Beijing community to conduct system modeling based on a physical model. Results show that Strategy 3 achieves zero SOC violation in energy storage, significantly outperforming Strategy 1 (which had a 47.5% violation rate) and Strategy 2 (37%), with operational costs reduced by 13.3% and 17.7% compared to Strategies 1 and 2, respectively, and a system excess capacity ratio of 0%. The conclusions indicate that the proposed VMD-based multi-energy storage coordinated optimization method, especially Strategy 3 combined with grid regulation, can effectively enhance system stability and economy, providing an effective solution for multi-energy system management in scenarios with a high proportion of renewable energy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of energy storage","volume":"153 ","pages":"Article 120542"},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146191887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-02-04DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2026.120929
Akshay Thakur , Vijay Kumar , Varun Goel
Conventional cooking relies on biomass and fossil fuels that burn inefficiently and emit particulate matter and harmful gases. These emissions create health risks, increase time burdens, and expose households to fuel-price volatility. Solar cooking avoids fuel combustion at the point of use and can reduce household emissions to near zero. However, practical adoption is limited by poor controllability and the inability to cook after sunset. Thermal energy storage using phase change materials (PCMs) addresses this limitation by shifting collected solar heat to off-sun cooking hours.Selecting an appropriate PCM requires more than high latent heat. The material must melt near the cooking setpoint and provide adequate thermal conductivity, cycling stability, chemical compatibility, food safety, acceptable cost, and low environmental impact. This study presents a structured preselection and ranking of candidate PCMs for the thermal energy storage unit of a concentrated indirect solar cooker. Materials are first screened based on melting temperature to match the operating window of the cooker. An entropy-weighted multi-criteria decision-making framework is then applied using TOPSIS, VIKOR, and COPRAS. The evaluation includes thermophysical performance, durability, compatibility, safety, economic feasibility, and sustainability. Robustness is examined through weight-perturbation tests, criterion-omission trials, and normalization checks. The rankings remain stable, with changes limited to mid-ranked materials. TOPSIS and VIKOR identify high-density polyethylene as the leading candidate, while COPRAS favors erythritol due to its strong thermal attributes. To address practical significance, an experiment-anchored thermal validation is conducted. A system-level energy-balance discharge model is calibrated using measured no-PCM and magnesium chloride hexahydrate discharge data. The validated model confirms that the shortlisted PCMs can sustain cooking-relevant temperatures under identical system constraints without altering the decision ranking.Considering thermal performance together with safety, compatibility, cost, and deployability, high-density polyethylene is recommended as the most suitable PCM for the thermal energy storage unit of an indirect concentrated solar cooker.
{"title":"Multi-criteria optimization and assessment of phase-change materials for indirect concentrated solar cookers","authors":"Akshay Thakur , Vijay Kumar , Varun Goel","doi":"10.1016/j.est.2026.120929","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.est.2026.120929","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Conventional cooking relies on biomass and fossil fuels that burn inefficiently and emit particulate matter and harmful gases. These emissions create health risks, increase time burdens, and expose households to fuel-price volatility. Solar cooking avoids fuel combustion at the point of use and can reduce household emissions to near zero. However, practical adoption is limited by poor controllability and the inability to cook after sunset. Thermal energy storage using phase change materials (PCMs) addresses this limitation by shifting collected solar heat to off-sun cooking hours.Selecting an appropriate PCM requires more than high latent heat. The material must melt near the cooking setpoint and provide adequate thermal conductivity, cycling stability, chemical compatibility, food safety, acceptable cost, and low environmental impact. This study presents a structured preselection and ranking of candidate PCMs for the thermal energy storage unit of a concentrated indirect solar cooker. Materials are first screened based on melting temperature to match the operating window of the cooker. An entropy-weighted multi-criteria decision-making framework is then applied using TOPSIS, VIKOR, and COPRAS. The evaluation includes thermophysical performance, durability, compatibility, safety, economic feasibility, and sustainability. Robustness is examined through weight-perturbation tests, criterion-omission trials, and normalization checks. The rankings remain stable, with changes limited to mid-ranked materials. TOPSIS and VIKOR identify high-density polyethylene as the leading candidate, while COPRAS favors erythritol due to its strong thermal attributes. To address practical significance, an experiment-anchored thermal validation is conducted. A system-level energy-balance discharge model is calibrated using measured no-PCM and magnesium chloride hexahydrate discharge data. The validated model confirms that the shortlisted PCMs can sustain cooking-relevant temperatures under identical system constraints without altering the decision ranking.Considering thermal performance together with safety, compatibility, cost, and deployability, high-density polyethylene is recommended as the most suitable PCM for the thermal energy storage unit of an indirect concentrated solar cooker.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of energy storage","volume":"153 ","pages":"Article 120929"},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146191901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-02-02DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2026.120557
Wencheng Pan , Luxiang Ma , Hongli Su , Yan Zhao , Chunxi Hai , Shengde Dong , Yanxia Sun , Qi Xu , Xin He , Jitao Chen , Yuan Zhou
Lithium-rich manganese-based layered oxides (LR) are promising cathodes for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries, but their practical application is hindered by severe voltage decay, capacity fading, and interfacial instability caused by oxygen release and sluggish Li+ diffusion. Here, we report a rapid surface engineering strategy that integrates Na+ doping and spinel phase formation to construct ultra-thin and uniform cathode–electrolyte interphase (CEI) films. Density functional theory calculations reveal that Na+ incorporation stabilizes lattice oxygen by forming strong NaO bonds and reduces the Li+ diffusion barrier by 0.22 eV. Experimentally, Na+ doping expands the Li layer spacing and generates oxygen vacancies, which further facilitate Li+ transport. Consequently, the modified cathode exhibits enhanced interfacial stability and suppressed oxygen evolution, leading to a high discharge capacity of 191 mAh·g-1 with 83.6% retention after 300 cycles at 1C, and 107.8 mAh·g−1 even at 10C. This scalable and cost-effective strategy offers new insights into interfacial design for the commercialization of lithium-rich cathodes.
{"title":"Synergistic Na doping and spinel formation for ultrathin cathode–electrolyte interphase films enabling stable lithium-rich manganese cathodes","authors":"Wencheng Pan , Luxiang Ma , Hongli Su , Yan Zhao , Chunxi Hai , Shengde Dong , Yanxia Sun , Qi Xu , Xin He , Jitao Chen , Yuan Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.est.2026.120557","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.est.2026.120557","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lithium-rich manganese-based layered oxides (LR) are promising cathodes for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries, but their practical application is hindered by severe voltage decay, capacity fading, and interfacial instability caused by oxygen release and sluggish Li<sup>+</sup> diffusion. Here, we report a rapid surface engineering strategy that integrates Na<sup>+</sup> doping and spinel phase formation to construct ultra-thin and uniform cathode–electrolyte interphase (CEI) films. Density functional theory calculations reveal that Na<sup>+</sup> incorporation stabilizes lattice oxygen by forming strong Na<img>O bonds and reduces the Li<sup>+</sup> diffusion barrier by 0.22 eV. Experimentally, Na<sup>+</sup> doping expands the Li layer spacing and generates oxygen vacancies, which further facilitate Li<sup>+</sup> transport. Consequently, the modified cathode exhibits enhanced interfacial stability and suppressed oxygen evolution, leading to a high discharge capacity of 191 mAh·g-1 with 83.6% retention after 300 cycles at 1C, and 107.8 mAh·g<sup>−1</sup> even at 10C. This scalable and cost-effective strategy offers new insights into interfacial design for the commercialization of lithium-rich cathodes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of energy storage","volume":"153 ","pages":"Article 120557"},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146098481","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2026.120767
Xiaowei Shi , Bihe Liu , Bonan Tan , Qing Chen , Lei Li , Yane Gao
Spinel LiMn2O4 (LMO) suffers from quick capacity decay, which hampers its practical application in lithium-ion batteries. Engineering LMO cathode structure is a solution to improve its cycling stability. Here, we experimentally realize lamellar additives of graphene oxide (GO) reinforced LMO cathode structure prolongs the cycling stability of LMO at high temperature of 45 °C. The experimental and theoretical results prove that GO induces the α-to-β phase transformation of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder. This enhances its dielectric constant and storage modulus. GO increases LMO particles and Al current collector adhesion via strong adsorption between GO functional groups and Al surface Al2O3 (OH). GO also works as a barrier to prevent HF etching LMO and Mn2+ dissolution into electrolyte. Their synergetic improves the cycling stability of LMO with high capacity retention of >84.1% compared to LMO/PVDF (77.7%) at 1C after 200 cycles at 45 °C. This study is beneficial for the design of cathode additives to improve the electrochemical performance of cathode.
{"title":"Lamellar graphene oxide stabilizes spinel LiMn2O4 cathode structure for high-temperature longevity","authors":"Xiaowei Shi , Bihe Liu , Bonan Tan , Qing Chen , Lei Li , Yane Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.est.2026.120767","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.est.2026.120767","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Spinel LiMn<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> (LMO) suffers from quick capacity decay, which hampers its practical application in lithium-ion batteries. Engineering LMO cathode structure is a solution to improve its cycling stability. Here, we experimentally realize lamellar additives of graphene oxide (GO) reinforced LMO cathode structure prolongs the cycling stability of LMO at high temperature of 45 °C. The experimental and theoretical results prove that GO induces the α-to-β phase transformation of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder. This enhances its dielectric constant and storage modulus. GO increases LMO particles and Al current collector adhesion via strong adsorption between GO functional groups and Al surface Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> (OH). GO also works as a barrier to prevent HF etching LMO and Mn<sup>2+</sup> dissolution into electrolyte. Their synergetic improves the cycling stability of LMO with high capacity retention of >84.1% compared to LMO/PVDF (77.7%) at 1C after 200 cycles at 45 °C. This study is beneficial for the design of cathode additives to improve the electrochemical performance of cathode.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of energy storage","volume":"153 ","pages":"Article 120767"},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146098553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2026.120901
Radu-Dan Rusu, Ioana-Alexandra Trofin, Mariana-Dana Damaceanu, Catalin-Paul Constantin
This study follows three directions in developing smart materials with electrochromic and energy storage functions: effective macromolecular blueprint, viable electropolymerization processing, and the design-prototype pathway. A fully conjugated macromonomer with an aryl focal point and three carbazole branches was used as the main core for two dendrimer-like macromonomers with amide-linked carbazole or triphenylamine arms. Their electropolymerization rendered defect-free polymeric films with a granular surface. Systematic connections between structural variations and the optical, electronic, morphological, and electrochemical conduct were established. The electrochromic activity and stability, coloration efficiency, charge-discharge patterns, specific areal capacitance, and electron-transfer processes highly depend on external building blocks, conjugation type, and films' topography and topology. A laboratory-scale prototype using the most balanced polymer showed reliable electrochromic performance: 0.41 s for coloration, 3.82 s for bleaching, 31.33% maximum optical contrast, 125 cm2 C−1 coloring efficiency, and 25% efficiency decay after 100 cycles. The same prototype acted as a hybrid-type pseudocapacitor and delivered convincing energy storage outcome: 0.62 mF cm−2 (GCD, 10 μA cm−2, relatively stable at higher current density) areal capacitance, 98.2% Coulombic efficiency, 1453 μW cm−2 power density, 542 μWh cm−2 energy density, 7.14% capacitance decay after 500 cycles, and a 0.34 S cm−1 conductivity.
{"title":"Starburst macromonomers with carbazole arms: From electropolymerization to electrochromic prototypes with energy storage capability","authors":"Radu-Dan Rusu, Ioana-Alexandra Trofin, Mariana-Dana Damaceanu, Catalin-Paul Constantin","doi":"10.1016/j.est.2026.120901","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.est.2026.120901","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study follows three directions in developing smart materials with electrochromic and energy storage functions: effective macromolecular blueprint, viable electropolymerization processing, and the design-prototype pathway. A fully conjugated macromonomer with an aryl focal point and three carbazole branches was used as the main core for two dendrimer-like macromonomers with amide-linked carbazole or triphenylamine arms. Their electropolymerization rendered defect-free polymeric films with a granular surface. Systematic connections between structural variations and the optical, electronic, morphological, and electrochemical conduct were established. The electrochromic activity and stability, coloration efficiency, charge-discharge patterns, specific areal capacitance, and electron-transfer processes highly depend on external building blocks, conjugation type, and films' topography and topology. A laboratory-scale prototype using the most balanced polymer showed reliable electrochromic performance: 0.41 s for coloration, 3.82 s for bleaching, 31.33% maximum optical contrast, 125 cm<sup>2</sup> C<sup>−1</sup> coloring efficiency, and 25% efficiency decay after 100 cycles. The same prototype acted as a hybrid-type pseudocapacitor and delivered convincing energy storage outcome: 0.62 mF cm<sup>−2</sup> (GCD, 10 μA cm<sup>−2</sup>, relatively stable at higher current density) areal capacitance, 98.2% Coulombic efficiency, 1453 μW cm<sup>−2</sup> power density, 542 μWh cm<sup>−2</sup> energy density, 7.14% capacitance decay after 500 cycles, and a 0.34 S cm<sup>−1</sup> conductivity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of energy storage","volume":"153 ","pages":"Article 120901"},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146098554","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.est.2026.120870
Nuo Shi, Zhihao Deng, Siyi Li, Yuqin Su, Wenjun Wu
To address issues inherent to aqueous zinc-ion batteries—such as electrolyte leakage, dendrite formation, and limited cycling stability—developing solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) that combine efficient Zn2+ transport with robust mechanical toughness remains a key challenge for all-solid-state zinc-ion batteries. In this work, l-serine was successfully incorporated into a polyethylene oxide/polyvinylidene difluoride (PEO/PVDF)-based electrolyte by reducing polymer crystallinity, enhancing interfacial coordination between functional groups and Zn2+, and improving the Zn deposition/stripping behavior. This strategy not only establishes rapid ion transport pathways, delivering a high ionic conductivity of 1.02 × 10−4 S cm−1 and a transference number of 0.56 at room temperature, but also enables the Zn||MnO2 device to achieve a high initial specific capacity of 120 mA h g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 with excellent rate capability. Moreover, a stable Zn deposition/stripping process was sustained for over 1400 h at 0.1 mA cm−2. By integrating molecular design with interfacial engineering, this study delivers transformative insights that may redefine electrolyte development for all-solid-state zinc-ion batteries.
为了解决水性锌离子电池固有的问题，如电解质泄漏、枝晶形成和有限的循环稳定性，开发固体聚合物电解质（spe），将高效的Zn2+传输与强大的机械韧性结合起来，仍然是全固态锌离子电池的关键挑战。在本研究中，l-丝氨酸通过降低聚合物结晶度，增强官能团与Zn2+之间的界面配位，以及改善锌的沉积/剥离行为，成功地加入到聚氧乙烯/聚偏氟乙烯（PEO/PVDF）基电解质中。该策略不仅建立了快速离子传输途径，在室温下提供了1.02 × 10−4 S cm−1的高离子电导率和0.56的转移数，而且使Zn||MnO2器件在0.1 a g−1下实现了120 mA h g−1的高初始比容量，具有优异的速率能力。此外，在0.1 mA cm−2下，锌沉积/剥离过程持续了1400小时以上。通过将分子设计与界面工程相结合，这项研究提供了革命性的见解，可能会重新定义全固态锌离子电池的电解质开发。
{"title":"Synergistic enhancement of mechanical robustness and ion transport via internal coordination for all-solid-state zinc batteries","authors":"Nuo Shi, Zhihao Deng, Siyi Li, Yuqin Su, Wenjun Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.est.2026.120870","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.est.2026.120870","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To address issues inherent to aqueous zinc-ion batteries—such as electrolyte leakage, dendrite formation, and limited cycling stability—developing solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) that combine efficient Zn<sup>2+</sup> transport with robust mechanical toughness remains a key challenge for all-solid-state zinc-ion batteries. In this work, <span>l</span>-serine was successfully incorporated into a polyethylene oxide/polyvinylidene difluoride (PEO/PVDF)-based electrolyte by reducing polymer crystallinity, enhancing interfacial coordination between functional groups and Zn<sup>2+</sup>, and improving the Zn deposition/stripping behavior. This strategy not only establishes rapid ion transport pathways, delivering a high ionic conductivity of 1.02 × 10<sup>−4</sup> S cm<sup>−1</sup> and a transference number of 0.56 at room temperature, but also enables the Zn||MnO<sub>2</sub> device to achieve a high initial specific capacity of 120 mA h g<sup>−1</sup> at 0.1 A g<sup>−1</sup> with excellent rate capability. Moreover, a stable Zn deposition/stripping process was sustained for over 1400 h at 0.1 mA cm<sup>−2</sup>. By integrating molecular design with interfacial engineering, this study delivers transformative insights that may redefine electrolyte development for all-solid-state zinc-ion batteries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15942,"journal":{"name":"Journal of energy storage","volume":"153 ","pages":"Article 120870"},"PeriodicalIF":8.9,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146098556","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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