Carbon-Based Materials as Lithium Hosts for Lithium Batteries

Lithium (Li) metal has attracted significant attention in areas that range from basic research to various commercial applications due to its high theoretical specific capacity (3860 mA h g⁻¹) and low electrochemical potential (−3.04 vs. standard hydrogen electrode). However, dendrites often form on the surfaces of Li metal anodes during cycling and thus lead to battery failure and, in some cases, raise safety concerns. To overcome this problem, a variety of approaches that vary the electrolyte, membrane, and/or anode have been proposed. Among these efforts, the use of three-dimensional frameworks as Li hosts, which can homogenize and minimize the current density at the anode surface, is an effective approach to suppress the formation of Li dendrites. Herein, we describe the development of using carbon-based materials as Li hosts. While these materials can be fabricated into a variety of porous structures, they have a number of intrinsic advantages including low costs, high specific surface areas, high electrical conductivities, and wide electrochemical stabilities. After briefly summarizing the formation mechanisms of Li dendrites, various methods for controlling structural and surface chemistry will be described for different types of carbon-based materials from the viewpoint of improving their performance as Li hosts. Finally, we provide perspective on the future development of Li host materials needed to meet the requirements for their use in flexible and wearable devices and other contemporary energy storage techniques.     

N-Doped Graphdiyne Coating for Dendrite-Free Lithium Metal Batteries

Nonuniform nucleation is one of the major reasons for the dendric growth of metallic lithium, which leads to intractable problems in the efficiency, reversibility, and safety in Li-based batteries. To improve the deposition of metallic Li on Cu substrates, herein, a freestanding current collector (NGDY@CuNW) is formed by coating pyridinic nitrogen-doped graphdiyne (NGDY) nanofilms on 3D Cu nanowires (CuNWs). Theoretical predictions reveal that the introduction of nitrogen atoms in the 2D GDY can enhance the binding energy between the Li atom and GDY, therefore improving the lithiophilicity on the surface for uniform lithium nucleation and deposition. Accordingly, the deposited metallic Li on the NGDY@CuNW electrode exhibits a dendrite-free morphology, resulting in significant improvements in terms of the reversibility with a high coulombic efficiency (CE) and a long lifespan at high current density. Our research provides an efficient method to control the surface property of Cu, which also will be instructive for other metal batteries.     

三维大孔/介孔碳-碳化钛复合材料用于无枝晶锂金属负极

金属锂具有超高的理论容量(3860 mAh·g^-1)和低氧化还原电位(-3.04 V vs.标准氢电极),是极具吸引力的下一代高能量密度电池的负极材料。然而,循环过程中的体积膨胀、锂枝晶生长和“死锂”等问题严重的限制了其实际应用。合理设计三维骨架调控金属锂的成核行为是抑制锂枝晶生长的有效策略。本文中,我们发展了一种“软硬双模板”的方法合成了兼具大孔和介孔的三维碳-碳化钛(Three-dimensional macro-/mesoporous C-TiC,表示为3DMM-C-TiC)复合材料。多级孔道为金属锂的沉积提供了足够的空间,缓冲充放电中巨大的体积变化。此外,TiC的引入显著增强多孔骨架的导电性,改善锂金属的成核行为,促进金属锂的均匀成核和沉积,抑制锂枝晶生长。3DMM-C-TiC||Li电池测试表明,在循环300圈以后,库伦效率仍保持在98%以上。此外,所得材料与LiFePO₄ (LFP)组成的全电池也表现出优异的倍率和循环性能。本工作为无枝晶锂金属负极的设计提供了新的思路。     

Interfacial Design of Dendrite‐Free Zinc Anodes for Aqueous Zinc‐Ion Batteries

Aqueous zinc‐ion batteries have rapidly developed recently as promising energy storage devices in large‐scale energy storage systems owing to their low cost and high safety. Research on suppressing zinc dendrite growth has meanwhile attracted widespread attention to improve the lifespan and reversibility of batteries. Herein, design methods for dendrite‐free zinc anodes and their internal mechanisms are reviewed from the perspective of optimizing the host–zinc interface and the zinc–electrolyte interface. Furthermore, a design strategy is proposed to homogenize zinc deposition by regulating the interfacial electric field and ion distribution during zinc nucleation and growth. This Minireview can offer potential directions for the rational design of dendrite‐free zinc anodes employed in aqueous zinc‐ion batteries.     

A Diffusion‐‐Reaction Competition Mechanism to Tailor Lithium Deposition for Lithium‐Metal Batteries

Lithium metal is recognized as one of the most promising anode materials owing to its ultrahigh theoretical specific capacity and low electrochemical potential. Nonetheless, dendritic Li growth has dramatically hindered the practical applications of Li metal anodes. Realizing spherical Li deposition is an effective approach to avoid Li dendrite growth, but the mechanism of spherical deposition is unknown. Herein, a diffusion‐reaction competition mechanism is proposed to reveal the rationale of different Li deposition morphologies. By controlling the rate‐determining step (diffusion or reaction) of Li deposition, various Li deposition scenarios are realized, in which the diffusion‐controlled process tends to lead to dendritic Li deposition while the reaction‐controlled process leads to spherical Li deposition. This study sheds fresh light on the dendrite‐free Li metal anode and guides to achieve safe batteries to benefit future wireless and fossil‐fuel‐free world.     

AFPP vs FPP

The main theme of this paper is that almost fixed point properties of discrete structures and fixed point properties of (topological) spaces are interdeducible via a suitable category which contains both graphs and spaces as objects. To carry out the program, we have to consider (almost) fixed points of multifunctions, and for this we need a preliminary discussion of power structures for graphs and simplicial complexes. Specific applications developed are: a digital convexity (discrete) version of Kakutani's fixed point theorem for convex-valued multifunctions; and fixed point properties of dendrites in terms of those of finite discrete trees.     

Protection of Li metal anode by surface-coating of PVDF thin film to enhance the cycling performance of Li batteries

The PVDF thin film on the surface of the lithium metal can highly suppress the lithium dendrites.     

PbMoO4晶体生长基元和生长习性的高温拉曼光谱研究

应用高温拉曼光谱研究了PbMoO₄熔体中的生长基元.通过对不同温度下PbMoO₄晶体拉曼光谱和熔点温度附近熔体高温拉曼光谱的研究,发现PbMoO₄熔体中存在Pb²⁺阳离子和［MoO₄］^2－阴离子生长基元.进一步讨论了PbMoO₄晶体生长基元和各个低指数晶面间的相互作用,解释了晶体的生长习性和枝晶生长的原因,并指出:PbMoO₄晶体生 关键词： 钼酸铅晶体 枝晶 籽晶取向 拉曼光谱