Carbon Energy最新文献

Back cover image: High-voltage LiCoO₂ can deliver a high capacity and therefore significantly boost the energy density of Li-ion batteries. However, its poor cyclability is still an issue for commercial applications. In article number CEY2-2024-0118, Ding et al. proposed a facile but effective methode to address this issue by constructing a LiF modification layer on LiCoO₂ surface via pyrolysis of the lithiated polyvinylidene fluoride pre-coating under air atmosphere. The as-fabricated LiF layer can effectively suppress the interfacial side reactions and surface structure degradation, and thereby greatly enhance the cycling stability of LiCoO₂ cathode at high charge cutoff voltage of 4.6 V.

Front cover image: Phosphate cathodes in aqueous zinc-based batteries have garnered significant research interest for large-scale green energy storage. However, unclear mechanisms are hindering the progress of their research and application. In article number CEY2-2024-0147, various categories of phosphate materials used as zinc-based battery cathodes are summarized. The article discusses current advances and critical perspectives, aiming to elucidate the structural and chemical information related to Zn2+ storage mechanisms in phosphate cathodes using advanced characterization techniques.

The restacking and oxidizable nature of vanadium-based carbon/nitride (V₂C-MXene) poses a significant challenge. Herein, tellurium (Te)-doped V₂C/V₂O₃ electrocatalyst is constructed via mild H₂O₂ oxidation and calcination treatments. Especially, this work rationally exploits the inherent easy oxidation characteristic associated with MXene to alter the interfacial information, thereby obtaining stable self-generated vanadium-based heterointerfaces. Meanwhile, the microetching effect of H₂O₂ creates numerous pores to address the restacking issues. Besides, Te element doping settles the issue of awkward levels of absorption/desorption ability of intermediates. The electrocatalyst obtains an unparalleled hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction with the overpotential of 83.5 and 279.8 mV at −10 and 10 mA cm⁻², respectively. In addition, the overall water-splitting device demonstrates a low cell voltage of 1.41 V to obtain 10 mA cm⁻². Overall, the inherent drawbacks of MXene can be turned into benefits based on the planning strategy to create these electrocatalysts with desirable reaction kinetics.

Back cover image: To achieve high-performance practical batteries, synergistically engineering intrinsic defects and heterostructures of metal oxide electrodes is highly desirable but remains challenging. In article number cey2.517, Yang et al. report on the crafting of hierarchically-electrospun carbon nanofibers integrated with oxygen vacancies-enriched V₂O₃ nanosheets. Accordingly, the as-fabricated V₂O₃ anode shows high reversible capacity, superior rate capability, and long cycling stability. An all-electrospun full-battery with an electrospun V₂O₅ cathode and an electrospun polyimide separator is further assembled that delivers an impressive energy density at the high power density.

Front cover image: The cover picture shows the selection and theoretical validation of transition metal ions for constructing a new class of cathode material, Na₃VFe_0.5Ti_0.5(PO₄)₃/C, with NASICON-type structure for SIBs. The combination of V, Fe and Ti elements allows Na⁺ ions to mobile without stress in the cathode, which results in stable electrochemical characteristics. In article number https://doi.org/10.1002/cey2.551, Soundharrajan et al.

Solid-state sodium batteries (SSSBs) are poised to replace lithium-ion batteries as viable alternatives for energy storage systems owing to their high safety and reliability, abundance of raw material, and low costs. However, as the core constituent of SSSBs, solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) with low ionic conductivities at room temperature (RT) and unstable interfaces with electrodes hinder the development of SSSBs. Recently, composite SSEs (CSSEs), which inherit the desirable properties of two phases, high RT ionic conductivity, and high interfacial stability, have emerged as viable alternatives; however, their governing mechanism remains unclear. In this review, we summarize the recent research progress of CSSEs, classified into inorganic–inorganic, polymer–polymer, and inorganic–polymer types, and discuss their structure–property relationship in detail. Moreover, the CSSE–electrode interface issues and effective strategies to promote intimate and stable interfaces are summarized. Finally, the trends in the design of CSSEs and CSSE–electrode interfaces are presented, along with the future development prospects of high-performance SSSBs.