Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Svenja Senkale, Giannantonio Cibin, Alan Chadwick, Wolfgang Bensch
Summary: Bulk isocubanite (CuFe2S3) was synthesized and investigated as an anode material for sodium-ion batteries, showing excellent electrochemical performance. The complex reaction mechanism involves the conversion of CuFe2S3 to various crystalline and nanocrystalline phases during Na uptake, with CuxS phases playing a key role in maintaining constant specific capacity.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zijin Yang, Xianying Qin, Kui Lin, Qiuchan Cai, Cuiping Han, Feiyu Kang, Baohua Li
Summary: A template-free heterogeneous carbonization strategy was reported for fabricating SnO2/carbon/void/carbon nanofibers compound membrane, which acts as a buffer layer for volume changes of SnO2. Reduced graphene oxide was introduced to construct a free-standing electrode with a conductive network for improved electrochemical performances in lithium/sodium-ion batteries. The SCVC-rGO anodes showed higher reversible capacity, longer lifespan, and superior rate capability in both battery systems.
Review
Chemistry, Applied
Baole Guan, Si-Yu Qi, Ying Li, Ting Sun, Yan-Guo Liu, Ting-Feng Yi
Summary: Sodium-ion batteries are gaining importance due to the low cost and abundance of sodium, with cobalt-based sulfides being extensively studied as anode materials. However, their application is hindered by capacity degradation and cycling instability, requiring a comprehensive understanding and modification from various perspectives. Recent advancements on different cobalt-based sulfides, along with strategies to improve their sodium storage performance, are outlined in this review.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
M. Schellenberger, R. Golnak, W. G. Quevedo Garzon, S. Risse, R. Seidel
Summary: Silicon anodes have a higher theoretical storage capacity than commercial graphite anodes in Li-ion batteries, but the Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) on silicon fails to stabilize the electrolyte sufficiently due to the large volume changes. Researchers have developed a novel X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) method to study the SEI on silicon anodes, revealing the main components and possible liquid inclusions within a porous SEI morphology.
MATERIALS TODAY ADVANCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ying Wang, Ping Niu, Jianzhong Li, Shulan Wang, Li Li
Summary: Phosphorus composite anodes are considered promising candidates for sodium-ion batteries and potassium-ion batteries, but their practical use is limited by poor cycling stability and sluggish electrochemical reaction dynamics caused by volume variation and low electronic conductivity. Compositing with a suitable second component has been proposed as an effective strategy to potentially resolve these issues.
ENERGY STORAGE MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Junwu Sang, Kangli Liu, Xiangdan Zhang, Shijie Zhang, Guoqin Cao, Yonglong Shen, Guosheng Shao
Summary: In this study, an economic method was developed to fabricate nanocomposites of crystalline few-layer graphene sheets loaded with ultrafine SnO2 nanocrystals. These nanocomposites exhibited significantly quickened redox processes as sodium ion battery anodes, leading to remarkable capacity and outstanding rate performance, even at high current densities.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Asif Mahmood, Ziwen Yuan, Xiao Sui, Muhammad Adil Riaz, Zixun Yu, Chang Liu, Junsheng Chen, Cheng Wang, Shenlong Zhao, Nasir Mahmood, Zengxia Pei, Li Wei, Yuan Chen
Summary: The explosive decomposition method demonstrated in this study allows for the realization of thermally reduced graphene oxide paper with tunable interlayer spacing, providing potential for high-performance sodium-ion battery anodes.
ENERGY STORAGE MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Su Hyun Yang, Seung-Keun Park, Gi Dae Park, Ju Hyeong Kim, Yun Chan Kang
Summary: This study successfully designed and prepared a Ni-Fe bimetallic sulfide nanosphere as a high-performance electrode material suitable for both potassium-ion batteries and sodium-ion batteries. The electrode material exhibited excellent cycling stability and rate capability, providing a reliable solution for potassium and sodium storage.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ritambhara Gond, Habtom Desta Asfaw, Omid Hosseinaei, Kristina Edstrom, Reza Younesi, Andrew J. Naylor
Summary: The use of sodium lignosulfonate as a binder in hard carbon anodes for sodium-ion batteries shows comparable or better performance compared to other binders, with high capacity retention and stability. When using 1 M NaPF6 in propylene carbonate or ethylene carbonate:diethyl carbonate electrolytes, the performance is further improved, particularly when including styrene-butadiene rubber as a co-binder. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis shows similar solid electrolyte interphase compositions for lignosulfonate and carboxymethyl cellulose binders after initial sodium insertion, but differences in surface layer composition and thickness are observed after subsequent cycling.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhenzhu Wang, Jie Wang, Jiangfeng Ni, Liang Li
Summary: This study reports on the design and construction of BixSb1-x bimetallic alloy films with a compositional gradient to mitigate the intrinsic structural instability, which show a high reversible capacity and capacity retention during extended cycling.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhihao Xiong, Haofeng Shi, Wenyuan Zhang, Jingtao Yan, Jun Wu, Chengdeng Wang, Donghua Wang, Jiashuai Wang, Yousong Gu, Fu-Rong Chen, Yongzhen Yang, Bingshe Xu, Xiaoqin Yan
Summary: Due to the pressure on lithium resources, low-cost sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have emerged as the most potential candidates for energy storage systems in the new era. This study proposes V2C/Fe7S8@C composites with hierarchical structures, prepared through an in situ synthesis method, to address the problem of anode materials in SIBs development. The V2C-MXene growth substrate greatly improves the rate capability of SIBs, while the carbon layer ensures charge-discharge stability. The V2C/Fe7S8@C anode achieves satisfactory sodium storage capacity and exceptional rate performance, making it a promising material for energy storage.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Jonas van Dinter, Sylvio Indris, Alexander Bitter, David Grantz, Giannantonio Cibin, Martin Etter, Wolfgang Bensch
Summary: The layered compound CrPS4 shows exceptional reversible long-term capacity and capacity retention as an anode material in sodium-ion batteries, with investigations revealing a complex reaction pathway and detailed evaluation suggesting a change in the electrochemical reaction upon cycling. Further research into the reaction mechanism of the first cycle using complementary techniques indicates unexpected complexity in the reaction pathway.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhenyu Cheng, Tao Du, He Gong, Lifeng Zhou
Summary: This paper successfully prepares nano-sized porous Fe7S8 anode material for sodium-ion batteries. The obtained material exhibits high energy storage capacity, stable cycling and rate performance. It shows a reversible specific capacity of 413.9 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 500 mA g-1, and a reversible capacity of 390.2 mAh g-1 at a high current density of 1 A g-1. The synthetic material has excellent research potential and is expected to be used in high-performance sodium-ion batteries with practical efficacy.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xinxin Zhu, Peng Wang, Yihong Ding, Ying Chu, Jie Lin, Shiqiang Zhao, Huile Jin, Tianbiao Zeng
Summary: Nano-polycrystalline Sn2S3/Sn3S4/FeS/Fe7S8 sulfides anchored on graphene were synthesized by annealing SnS2 and Fe followed by homogeneously combining them with exfoliated graphite. When used as an anode for a sodium-ion battery, the reversible capacity reached 863 mA h g(-1) at 100 mA g(-1). This facile materials synthesis method may find applications in various fields.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Wenli Zhang, Minglei Sun, Jian Yin, Wenxi Wang, Gang Huang, Xueqing Qiu, Udo Schwingenschlogl, Husam N. Alshareef
Summary: By catalytic pyrolysis of graphitic carbon nitride enabled by metal cyanamides, a high edge-nitrogen doped three-dimensional turbostratic carbon material has been synthesized, exhibiting promising performance as anodes for both PIBs and SIBs.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tianxue Zhu, Jiaqing Xiong, Jingwei Chen, Xinran Zhou, Guofa Cai, Yuekun Lai, Pooi See Lee
Summary: In this study, a flexible electrochromic nylon fiber based on Ag nanowires/PEDOT:PSS/WO3 nanoparticles was successfully fabricated, demonstrating rapid color switching and high optical modulation. The fiber was also sustainable to repeated mechanical deformations, making it suitable for flexible optoelectronic devices.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Lilin Zhang, Yining Chen, Zongyuan Jiang, Jingwei Chen, Cong Wei, Wenzhuo Wu, Shaohui Li, Qun Xu
Summary: Organic redox compounds, like copper-tetracyanoquinodimethane (CuTCNQ), show promise as cathode materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries due to their low cost, environmental friendliness, and multiple-electron-transfer reactions. Through electrochemical activation, electrolyte optimization, and adoption of a graphene-based separator, CuTCNQ-based batteries demonstrate improved rate performance, cycling stability, and anti-self-discharge properties. The impressive electrochemical performance of CuTCNQ in aqueous electrolytes is attributed to the strong electron acceptation ability of the cyano groups in CuTCNQ and the graphene-modified separator that prevents CuTCNQ dissolution and shuttle effect.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jian Lv, Gurunathan Thangavel, Pooi See Lee
Summary: This review summarizes the failure modes in printing stretchable electronics using nano/micro composite ink and proposes strategies to tackle these challenges. The importance of reliable, printable, and stretchable electronics is emphasized in this article.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiaoyu Guo, Shaohua Chen, Wei Church Poh, Juntong Chen, Fan Jiang, Matthew Wei Ming Tan, Pooi See Lee
Summary: In this study, a Ni-Cu salts/poly(vinyl alcohol) based organohydrogel electrolyte with excellent transparency, ionic conductivity, and mechanical properties was developed. The high viscosity of the electrolyte enabled the electrodeposition of a homogeneous Ni-Cu alloy film with a surface roughness of around 11.2 nm, which retained its black color for over 350 minutes with only a 5% increase in transmittance. The solid-state rigid electrochromic device exhibited outstanding optical contrast and cycling stability. A flexible electrochromic device was also fabricated using the organohydrogel electrolyte and annealed ITO-coated PEN films, showing good mechanical flexibility and optical contrast.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Suchita Kandpal, Tanushree Ghosh, Chanchal Rani, Anjali Chaudhary, Jinwoo Park, Pooi See Lee, Rajesh Kumar
Summary: Significant development in science and technology has occurred to meet the rising energy demands, particularly in response to environmental concerns associated with fossil fuels. Electrochromic devices, which combine energy conversion with color modulation, hold great promise for energy storage and saving purposes in buildings and vehicles, and can operate similarly to batteries and supercapacitors.
ACS ENERGY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Yuyan Tang, Shaohui Li, Meng-Fang Lin, Jingwei Chen, Alice Lee-Sie Eh, Qun Xu
Summary: In this study, sandwich-structured perylene diimide-ethylene diamine/graphene (PDI-EDA/EG) composites were designed and synthesized for zinc-ion batteries. The hybrid electrode exhibited high capacity, superior rate capability, and exceptional durability. The structure evolution of the hybrid electrode during the insertion/extraction cycle was investigated, revealing the reversible Zn2+ storage at carbonyl sites.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wenjie Fan, Ping Li, Jing Shi, Jingwei Chen, Weiqian Tian, Huanlei Wang, Jingyi Wu, Guihua Yu
Summary: This study demonstrates that the addition of trace carbon-coated cobalt single atoms can regulate the process of zinc deposition in aqueous zinc metal batteries, enabling sustainable microspace electric field regulation at high current density and capacity.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zongying Gao, Chunliu Zhu, Lei Yang, Huanyu Liang, Weiqian Tian, Jing Shi, Jingyi Wu, Jingwei Chen, Minghua Huang, Huanlei Wang
Summary: Through the nanoconfinement strategy and electrospinning technique, ultrafine carbon nanofiber-supported Co9S8/WS2@C particles are obtained, leading to exceptional rate performance and stable structural stability. The introduction of β-cyclodextrin during the synthesis process plays a crucial role in the confinement of nanoparticles and the generation of porous structure. The large surface area, ultrafine particles, and rich heterointerfaces in Co9S8/WS2@C@CNF contribute to reducing the diffusion length of Na+ and promoting reaction kinetics. The electrode also demonstrates an ultra-long lifespan in full-cell Na-ion batteries.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xinran Zhou, Kaushik Parida, Jian Chen, Jiaqing Xiong, Zihao Zhou, Feng Jiang, Yangyang Xin, Shlomo Magdassi, Pooi See Lee
Summary: The fast development of wearable electronic systems requires a sustainable energy source. Piezoelectric polymer films are a perfect candidate for fabricating nanogenerators, but most of their applications are limited to the pressing mode energy harvesting. In this work, an auxetic structure is 3D printed on a polymer film-based PENG, enabling the bending deformation of the PENG to be transformed into controlled in-plane stretching deformation, increasing the bending output voltage by 8.3 times. The auxetic structure-assisted PENG is also demonstrated as a sensor for bending angle and motion monitoring.
ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Peiwen Huang, Hongbo Fu, Matthew Wei Ming Tan, Yixuan Jiang, Pooi See Lee
Summary: This study presents a one-step DLP 3D printing method for multilayer Dielectric Elastomer Actuators (DEAs), avoiding the time-consuming layer-by-layer process. Optimized DLP-printable Polyurethane Acrylate-based DEA material results in a non-pre-stretched cylindrical DEA with 270 mN blocked force and 45% actuation efficiency at 100 Hz. Demonstrated applicability as vibrotactile devices show promise for robotics and haptic interfaces.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Erbing Hua, Seunggun Choi, Siyuan Ren, Sungjun Kim, Ghulam Ali, Seon Je Kim, Woo-Sung Jang, Soyun Joo, Jingshu Zhang, Seulgi Ji, Yun Seong Cho, Joohoon Kang, Taeseup Song, Seungbum Hong, Heechae Choi, Young-Min Kim, Hyuksu Han, Sung Wng Kim
Summary: Modulating metal-support interactions (MSIs) is an effective method to improve the activity and durability of supported Pt-based nanocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Rahul Sahay, Yen-Cheng Tu, Izzat Aziz, Arief S. Budiman, Cher Ming Tan, Pooi See Lee, Olivier Thomas, Nagarajan Raghavan
Summary: In this study, the reliability of nickel-niobium oxide (crystalline-amorphous) sandwich nanolayers on a PI substrate (Ni-Nb2O5-PI) was reported as a potential candidate for electrodes or interconnects for flexible electronic or energy devices. The incorporation of amorphous niobium oxide into the nickel nanolayers significantly improved their fatigue/fracture strength with a slight reduction in electrical conductivity and low resistance oscillation essential for operational reliability of flexible devices. Additionally, the nickel-niobium oxide/polyimide stack was demonstrated to be electrically/mechanically stable up to 500 K stress cycles at a bending radius of 8.5 mm.
MATERIALS ADVANCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hui Wang, Matthew Wei Ming Tan, Wei Church Poh, Dace Gao, Wenting Wu, Pooi See Lee
Summary: By adding a soft, stretchable, transparent, and solid-state poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) as a compliant filler, the actuation performance of dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) can be improved. The PIL filler provides high dielectric constant and low Young's modulus, increasing the strain and bending angle of the DEAs. Notably, the PIL filler also eliminates filler leakage problems and enables the DEAs to have recoverability. The solid-state PIL filler can be used for soft robotics, interactive lighting, or wearables.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yangyang Xin, Xinran Zhou, Hyunwoo Bark, Pooi See Lee
Summary: Soft grippers are crucial for handling delicate objects without causing any damage. This article reviews the use of 3D printing technologies in soft grippers, discussing the materials and printing processes involved. The application and potential development of 3D printing in soft grippers are also examined.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Alia Shahid, Khadija Tul Kubra, Ghulam Ali, Rabbia Naz, Annam Butt, Fauzia Iqbal, Ayesha Salman
Summary: In this study, an anomalous quaternary hybrid material (NiMn2O4/NiWO4/NGO/PANI) is synthesized and its electrochemical performance is evaluated. The quaternary electrode exhibits remarkable specific capacitance, low impedance, and superior charge transfer performance, making it suitable for composite hybrid supercapacitor applications.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
