Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kangsheng Huang, Sheng Bi, Hai Xu, Langyuan Wu, Chang Fang, Xiaogang Zhang
Summary: Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) are used as alternatives to liquid electrolytes in lithium-metal batteries (LMBs). Adding diluent 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropyl ether (TTE) to regulate the electrolyte structure improves the electrochemical stability and ion transport properties of GPEs. The addition of TTE enhances ion association and forms a robust and low-impedance solid electrolyte interface (SEI) on the anode surface. This study provides an effective approach for controlling solvation structures in GPEs, which can advance the design of GPE-based LMBs in the future.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Sheng Chen, Yunping Wu, Shuwen Niu, Zhengyu Wei, Youshen Wu, Wei Wei
Summary: By exploiting the advantages of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) including light weight, flexibility, and flame retardancy, this study addresses the safety concerns and energy density improvement for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The development of SPEs is still hindered by their low ionic conductivity, which can be overcome by a hierarchical structure of flower-like Co3O4 microspheres and a multifunctional coating of polydopamine (PDA) used as a lithiophilic backbone. The interphase characterizations and their effects on Li+ conductivity and mechanical/electrochemical stability are investigated, and the potential application of Co3O4@PDA-based composite solid polymer electrolytes (CPEs) in all-solid-state LIBs is demonstrated.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hyemin Park, Eun Gyu Lee, So-Yeon Kim, Si Jin Seong, Jae Yong Suh, Mihye Wu, Yongku Kang, Si-Young Choi, Yongseon Kim, Sungho Choi
Summary: Promising soft-rigid and free-standing composite electrolytes were developed by mixing Sr-doped LiZr2(PO4)(3) compound with a PEO-based polymer, showing good ionic conductivity and cycling stability for solid-state Li+-ion rechargeable batteries operating at room temperature.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Sandugash Kalybekkyzy, Al-Farabi Kopzhassar, Memet Vezir Kahraman, Almagul Mentbayeva, Zhumabay Bakenov
Summary: A series of UV-photocrosslinked flexible solid polymer electrolytes with excellent flexibility and mechanical properties were successfully prepared as alternative electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries. These electrolytes exhibit high ionic conductivity and stable compatibility, making them suitable for application in high-voltage lithium-ion batteries.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mahmoud Ghafari, Zeinab Sanaee, Alireza Babaei, Shams Mohajerzadeh
Summary: Researchers have developed a novel protective layer to address the instability and poor contact between Li-AL-Ti-P solid-state electrolyte and electrodes. This layer provides a suitable interface, prevents reduction of the electrolyte, and suppresses dendrite growth. The protective layer demonstrates excellent performance in coating/stripping process and the assembled full-cell exhibits good cycling stability.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Qinghui Zhang, Hong Huang, Tianmeng Liu, Yan Wang, Junrong Yu, Zuming Hu
Summary: A solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) based on a molecular composite of aromatic polybenzimidazole (PBI) and PEO is proposed to address the issues of low ionic conductivity and potential safety hazards in PEO-based electrolytes. The strong intermolecular interactions effectively inhibit PEO crystallization and significantly improve the modulus, strength, and ionic conductivity of the electrolyte. Additionally, thermal stability and flame retardancy are also enhanced, making the PBI/PEO electrolyte a promising candidate for safe and high-performance all-solid-state lithium ion batteries.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yixuan Guo, Jun Cheng, Zhen Zeng, Yuanyuan Li, Hongqiang Zhang, Deping Li, Lijie Ci
Summary: The role of the Li2CO3 layer in composite solid electrolytes (CSEs) is elucidated, showing that it inhibits the formation of high conductive interlayers, alters the Li+ transport pathway, and reduces the carrier concentration. In the absence of Li2CO3, the electrolyte exhibits improved ionic conductivity and Li+ transference number, along with excellent cycling performance.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2022)
Review
Polymer Science
Megha Goyal, Nitu Bhatnagar
Summary: The review discusses the importance of conductive polymer electrodes in the production of rechargeable batteries and their applications in various types of cell fabrications. It highlights the effectiveness of modified copper current collector as a protective layer against various battery issues such as solid electrolyte interface film, electrode particle cracking, etc.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Abraham Herzog-Arbeitman, Sebastian Maletti, Steffen Oswald, Toni Schmeida, Lars Giebeler, Daria Mikhailova
Summary: Conventional lithium-magnesium hybrid batteries are limited by toxic and corrosive liquid electrolytes. To address this challenge, researchers have successfully developed a hybrid gel polymer electrolyte with high ionic conductivity and excellent electrochemical stability, leading to the first proof-of-concept quasi-solid-state LMIB with high initial capacity and Coulombic efficiencies above 90%.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Electrochemistry
Somayeh Toghyani, Florian Baakes, Ningxin Zhang, Helmut Kuhnelt, Walter Cistjakov, Ulrike Krewer
Summary: As the aircraft industry becomes more focused on sustainable aviation, there is increasing interest in hybrid-electric propulsion systems with batteries that have higher energy density to reduce fuel consumption. Next-generation chemistries like oxide-based all-solid-state Li-battery (ASSB) technologies could benefit future aircrafts. However, it is time- and resource-intensive to experimentally produce and evaluate a wide range of design parameters for maximizing the energy density of ASSB. Physics-based modeling offers a more efficient way to identify optimal designs for battery cells with high energy density.
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
D. Maurya Gyanprakash, Chandresh Kumar Rastogi
Summary: Silicon is a promising anode material for Li-ion batteries with high specific capacity, but its stability limits its industrial-scale application. Particle size reduction below 150 nm enhances reactivity and cycle life, but falls short of industrial benchmarks. In this study, impedance analysis was used to investigate physicochemical processes at the Si electrode/electrolyte interface. Different Si anode samples were prepared: 50 nm, 150 nm, and a mixture of 50 and 150 nm particles. The small particle size sample exhibited high activity but suffered from high SEI formation, while the 150 nm sample had low SEI formation but high charge transfer resistance. The mixed sample showed a compromise, with the lowest polarization resistance after 50 cycles and intermediate SEI formation, resulting in the highest capacity.
JOURNAL OF ELECTROANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Shun Nakazawa, Yu Matsuda, Mitsuki Ochiai, Yuta Inafune, Masafumi Yamato, Manabu Tanaka, Hiroyoshi Kawakami
Summary: This study introduces high-performance solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) based on lithium salt-containing crystalline poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) nanofibers, showing higher ion conductivity and lithium ion transference number. The PVDF nanofiber composite SPEs exhibit excellent electrochemical stability and mechanical durability, leading to outstanding rate capability and charge-discharge cycling behavior in all-solid-state lithium ion batteries. Moreover, the fabrication of multi-layered stacked batteries demonstrates potential for high-voltage operation and high energy densities in future battery applications.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Aditya Choudhary, Dengpan Dong, Dmitry Bedrov
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between polymer structure and lithium ion transport mechanism through molecular dynamics simulations, and proposed design principles for improving conductivity.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yifeng Cai, Caixia Liu, Zhiao Yu, Haomin Wu, Yaoda Wang, Wencan Ma, Qiuhong Zhang, Xudong Jia
Summary: This study presents a series of flexible and highly conductive quasi-solid single-ion polymer electrolytes based on lithium sulfonimide. These electrolytes exhibit high ionic conductivity, wide electrochemical stability window, and good compatibility with electrodes. They also demonstrate stable cycling, superior rate performance, and functionality under bending, making them potential candidates for flexible devices and stretchable batteries.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hongyang Li, Ling Li, Jingang Zheng, Hao Huang, Han Zhang, Baigang An, Xin Geng, Chengguo Sun
Summary: A convenient and efficient strategy is proposed to construct a Li3N-based interlayer between solid poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) electrolyte and Li anode by in situ thermal decomposition of 2,2 '-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) additive. The Li3N nanoparticles evolved from the decomposition can combine with LiF, cyano derivatives, and PEO electrolyte to form a buffer layer during the cell cycle, which improves the stability and homogeneity of Li deposition. The Li||Li symmetric cells with Li3N-based interlayer exhibit excellent cycle stability, with a cycle life at least 4 times longer than that of PEO electrolytes without Li3N layer. This work provides a convenient strategy for interface engineering in solid-state polymer electrolyte and Li anode.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Karuppusamy Mariyappan, Pandian Saravanakumar, Rahul Thamizhselvan, Pitchai Ragupathy, Mani Ulaganathan
Summary: Bromine polyhalide (BP) based redox flow batteries are potential candidates for extreme energy storage due to their high energy density and cost-effectiveness. However, the slow kinetics of the Br-2/Br- redox couple in the BP system leads to poor power density. To address this issue, a nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-rGO) composite electrode is designed and used as a positive electrode to improve the electro-catalytic activity. The N-rGO adopted graphite felt exhibits excellent rate performance and Coulombic efficiency, as well as higher power density compared to the pristine felt.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Rahul Thamizhselvan, Raghupandiyan Naresh, Mani Ulaganathan, Vilas G. Pol, Pitchai Ragupathy
Summary: The environmentally friendly and affordable alkaline Zn(OH)42-/Zn redox flow battery shows promising potential for energy storage applications. By carefully adjusting the pH of the electrolyte, the redox potential of zinc can be lowered, resulting in significantly improved energy density of the system.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Erhai Hu, Chuntai Liu, Wei Zhang, Qingyu Yan
Summary: Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is a significant process for recycling excessive CO2 in the atmosphere. However, the discovery of efficient catalysts for CO2RR is currently lagging behind due to limitations in current methods. To overcome this, researchers have increasingly used modern machine learning (ML) algorithms to accelerate catalyst screening and deepen our understanding of the mechanism. In this review, we examine recent applications of ML in CO2RR research, categorizing them by the types of electrocatalysts, and provide an introduction to the general methodology as well as a discussion on the pros and cons of such applications.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Karuppusamy Mariyappan, Thiyagarajan Mahalakshmi, Thangampillai Senthilkumar Roshni, Pitchai Ragupathy, Mani Ulaganathan
Summary: A zinc-bromine redox flow battery with bimetallic catalysts deposited on a graphite felt network shows improved kinetics and power density. The use of the PtNi bimetallic composition enhances the redox reaction kinetics, resulting in a power density of 1550 mW cm(-2). The flow cell also demonstrates excellent stability with 97% coulombic efficiency, 86% voltage efficiency, and 83% energy efficiency over 300 cycles.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Vijayakumar Prabu, Kathiresan Geetha, Ramachandran Sekar, Mani Ulaganathan
Summary: This work investigates the capacitor performance of tailor-made electro-deposited MnO2-coated 3D-carbon felt as a positive electrode. MnO2 has good electrochemical activity and high specific capacity. A high-capacity asymmetric cell using MnO2@CF as a positive electrode shows excellent capacitance performance and cycle life at a high voltage window.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Kivanc Saglik, Xianyi Tan, Ady Suwardi, Alex Qingyu Yan
Summary: Around 60% of useful energy is wasted in industry, homes, or transportation. Therefore, there has been increasing attention on thermoelectric materials for their ability to harvest waste heat into useful energy. Texture engineering is a special strategy that allows the exploitation of superior material properties in a specific direction, and it has been shown to significantly enhance the thermoelectric figure of merit of certain materials like (Bi,Sb)Te-3, Bi-2(Se,Te)3, CuSbSe2, and SnSe. Texture engineering provides a wide range of strategies to elevate the zT of anisotropic materials to values comparable to those of their single crystalline counterparts.
TRANSACTIONS OF TIANJIN UNIVERSITY
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Swapnil Deshmukh, Rahul Thamizhselvan, Karuppusamy Mariyappan, M. Kathiresan, M. Ulaganathan, P. Ragupathy
Summary: Aqueous organic redox flow batteries have benefits of high oxidation/reduction potentials and solubility, but low energy density. Hybrid flow batteries with high potential window and energy density show promising characteristics. The newly developed alkaline Zn(OH)(4)(2-)/4HT system exhibits high cell voltage, energy density, and excellent capacity retention.
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Bo Han, Jiawei Liu, Carmen Lee, Chade Lv, Qingyu Yan
Summary: This paper provides a comprehensive review on the application and development of metal-organic framework (MOF) catalysts in the electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (E-NRR) field. It first introduces the basic principles of E-NRR, including the reaction mechanism, major apparatus components, performance criteria, and ammonia detection protocols. Then, the synthesis and characterization methods for MOFs and their derivatives are discussed. A reaction mechanism study via density functional theory calculations is also presented. Furthermore, the recent advancement of MOF-based catalysts in the E-NRR field, as well as the modification approaches on MOFs for E-NRR optimization, are elaborated. Finally, the current challenges and outlook of MOF catalyst-based E-NRR field are emphasized.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ai Qin Thang, Yuejun Shen, Zugui Shi, Ge Yao, Sun Yew Wong, Zhaolin Liu, Qingyu Yan
Summary: A ceramic-coated separator (CCS) was fabricated by coating sub-micron-sized alpha (α)-alumina on a conventional microporous polyolefin separator using partially neutralized polyacrylic acid (Pn PAA) as a dispersant and binder. The Pn PAA adsorbs on alumina surfaces through columbic interaction, providing repulsive force for dispersion and strong binding on plasma-treated separator through hydrogen bonding. The CCS showed favorable wettability and ionic conduction in carbonate-based electrolyte due to the high hydrophilicity of Pn PAA and alumina. The Pn PAA-made CCS exhibited a substantial adhesion strength of about 106 N/m and a specific capacity of 145.0 mAh/g after 200 cycles at 1 C at room temperature in half cells (LFP/Li metal).
CHEMISTRY-AN ASIAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chenhan Liu, Chao Wu, Xian Yi Tan, Yi Tao, Yin Zhang, Deyu Li, Juekuan Yang, Qingyu Yan, Yunfei Chen
Summary: Doping oxygen atoms in two-dimensional TiS3 nanoribbons can significantly enhance the lattice thermal conductivity. The localized lattice contraction and coupling strength enhancement lead to the suppression of phonon-impurity scattering, improving the phonon thermal transport.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Deepshikha Arora, Sze Yu Tan, Shi Wun Tong, Poh Chong Lim, Parvathi Nair Suseela Nair, Ming Lin, Qiang Zhu, Qingyu Yan, Wen-Ya Wu
Summary: This study developed a simple and practical method to synthesize and self-assemble Cu2-xS/CuYS heterostructured nanorods into vertically standing up 2D sheetlike structures. The cation exchange-induced assembly of heterostructured nanorods, coupled with particle interactions, was systematically studied, providing important insights for synthesis tools.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jiawei Liu, Carmen Lee, Yue Hu, Zhishan Liang, Rong Ji, Xiang Yun Debbie Soo, Qiang Zhu, Qingyu Yan
Summary: This mini-review summarizes the recent progress in the syntheses and electrocatalytic applications of noble metal-based intermetallic nanocrystals. Various synthetic strategies for constructing binary, ternary and high-entropy intermetallic nanocrystals are discussed, highlighting their strengths and limitations. The electrocatalytic applications of intermetallic nanocrystals in oxygen reduction reaction, small molecule oxidation reactions, hydrogen evolution reaction, CO2/CO reduction reactions, and nitrogen reduction reaction are also discussed.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zixuan Chen, Hong-Hua Cui, Shiqiang Hao, Yukun Liu, Hui Liu, Jing Zhou, Yan Yu, Qingyu Yan, Christopher Wolverton, Vinayak P. Dravid, Zhong-Zhen Luo, Zhigang Zou, Mercouri G. Kanatzidis
Summary: PbS is a highly attractive member of the lead chalcogenides. By introducing GaSb doping, the conduction band of n-type PbS can converge, leading to improved electrical transport performance. This results in record-high power factor and figure of merit values, surpassing other PbS-based thermoelectric materials.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jinjin Wang, Xiangyuan Zhao, Jinzhao Kang, Xiaomei Wang, Hong Yu, Cheng-Feng Du, Qingyu Yan
Summary: In this study, vanadium oxide nanobelts with a bilayer structure were successfully prepared and demonstrated outstanding performance in zinc-ion batteries, including high capacity, excellent rate properties, and cycling stability. The advantages of the cathode material lie in the pre-intercalated ions and bilayer structure, which enable higher pseudocapacitance and faster kinetic reactions.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jing Zhu, Xiaoyu Chen, Ai Qin Thang, Fei-Long Li, Dong Chen, Hongbo Geng, Xianhong Rui, Qingyu Yan
Summary: Due to the excessive consumption of nonrenewable resources, the exploration of effective and durable materials for sustainable energy conversion and storage is highly sought after. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a new class of hybrid materials that have gained traction in energy-related fields. Vanadium-MOFs (V-MOFs) possess unique structural characteristics and satisfactory electrochemical properties. Furthermore, V-MOFs-derived materials also exhibit superior electrical conductivity and stability when used as electrocatalysts and electrode materials. This review summarizes the research progress and potential applications of V-MOFs and their derivatives in electrochemical energy conversion and storage. Future possibilities and challenges in terms of design and synthesis are also discussed.
