In‐situ XAFS Studies of Mn12 Molecular‐Cluster Batteries: Super‐Reduced Mn12 Clusters in Solid‐State Electrochemistry

In situ X‐ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) analyses were performed on rechargeable molecular cluster batteries (MCBs), which were formed by a lithium anode and cathode‐active material, [Mn₁₂O₁₂(CH₃CH₂C(CH₃)₂COO)₁₆(H₂O)₄] with tert‐pentyl carboxylate ligand (abbreviated as Mn12tPe), and with eight Mn³⁺ and four Mn⁴⁺ centers. This mixed valence cluster compound is used in an effort to develop a reusable in situ battery cell that is suitable for such long‐term performance tests. The Mn12tPe MCBs exhibit a large capacity of approximately 210 Ah kg⁻¹ in the voltage range V=4.0–2.0 V. The X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure (XANES) spectra exhibit a systematic change during the charging/discharging with an isosbestic point at 6555 eV, which strongly suggests that only either the Mn³⁺ or Mn⁴⁺ ions in the Mn12 skeleton are involved in this battery reaction. The averaged manganese valence, determined from the absorption‐edge energy, decreased monotonically from 3.3 to 2.5 in the first half of the discharging (4.0>V>2.8 V), but changed little in the second half (2.8>V>2.0 V). The former valence change indicates a reduction of the initial [Mn12]⁰ state by approximately ten electrons, which corresponds well with the half value of the observed capacity. Therefore, the large capacity of the Mn12 MCBs can be understood as being due to a combination of the redox change of the manganese ions and presumably a capacitance effect. The extended X‐ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) indicates a gradual increase of the Mn²⁺ sites in the first half of the discharging, which is consistent with the XANES spectra. It can be concluded that the Mn12tPe MCBs would include a solid‐state electrochemical reaction, mainly between the neutral state [Mn12]⁰ and the super‐reduced state [Mn12]⁸⁻ that is obtained by a local reduction of the eight Mn³⁺ ions in Mn12 toward Mn²⁺ ions.     

A new two‐dimensional manganese(II) coordination polymer based on thiophene‐3,4‐dicarboxylic acid

A novel manganese coordination polymer, poly[(μ₅‐thiophene‐3,4‐dicarboxylato)manganese(II)], [Mn(C₆H₂O₄S)]_n, was synthesized hydrothermally using 3,4‐thiophenedicarboxylate (3,4‐tdc²⁻) as the organic linker. The asymmetric unit of the complex contains an Mn²⁺ cation and one half of a deprotonated 3,4‐tdc²⁻ anion, both residing on a twofold axis. Each Mn²⁺ centre is six‐coordinated by O atoms of bridging/chelating carboxylate groups from five 3,4‐tdc²⁻ anions, forming a slightly distorted octahedron. The Mn²⁺ centres are bridged by 3,4‐tdc²⁻ anions to give an infinite two‐dimensional layer which incorporates one‐dimensional Mn–O gridlike chains, and in which the 3,4‐tdc²⁻ anion adopts a novel hexadentate chelating and μ₅‐bridging coordination mode. The fully deprotonated 3,4‐tdc²⁻ anion exhibits unexpected efficiency as a ligand towards the Mn²⁺ centres, which it coordinates through all of its carboxylate O atoms to provide the novel coordination mode. The IR spectrum of the complex is also reported.     

Zinc–Organic Battery with a Wide Operation-Temperature Window from −70 to 150 °C

Aqueous zinc (Zn) batteries have been considered as promising candidates for grid-scale energy storage. However, their cycle stability is generally limited by the structure collapse of cathode materials and dendrite formation coupled with undesired hydrogen evolution on the Zn anode. Herein we propose a zinc–organic battery with a phenanthrenequinone macrocyclic trimer (PQ-MCT) cathode, a zinc-foil anode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte of a N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solution containing Zn²⁺. The non-aqueous nature of the system and the formation of a Zn²⁺–DMF complex can efficiently eliminate undesired hydrogen evolution and dendrite growth on the Zn anode, respectively. Furthermore, the organic cathode can store Zn²⁺ ions through a reversible coordination reaction with fast kinetics. Therefore, this battery can be cycled 20 000 times with negligible capacity fading. Surprisingly, this battery can even be operated in a wide temperature range from −70 to 150 °C.     

Revealing the Dominance of the Dissolution-Deposition Mechanism in Aqueous Zn−MnO2 Batteries

Zn−MnO₂ batteries have attracted extensive attention for grid-scale energy storage applications, however, the energy storage chemistry of MnO₂ in mild acidic aqueous electrolytes remains elusive and controversial. Using α-MnO₂ as a case study, we developed a methodology by coupling conventional coin batteries with customized beaker batteries to pinpoint the operating mechanism of Zn−MnO₂ batteries. This approach visually simulates the operating state of batteries in different scenarios and allows for a comprehensive study of the operating mechanism of aqueous Zn−MnO₂ batteries under mild acidic conditions. It is validated that the electrochemical performance can be modulated by controlling the addition of Mn²⁺ to the electrolyte. The method is utilized to systematically eliminate the possibility of Zn²⁺ and/or H⁺ intercalation/de-intercalation reactions, thereby confirming the dominance of the MnO₂/Mn²⁺ dissolution-deposition mechanism. By combining a series of phase and spectroscopic characterizations, the compositional, morphological and structural evolution of electrodes and electrolytes during battery cycling is probed, elucidating the intrinsic battery chemistry of MnO₂ in mild acid electrolytes. Such a methodology developed can be extended to other energy storage systems, providing a universal approach to accurately identify the reaction mechanism of aqueous aluminum-ion batteries as well.     

A symmetric aqueous redox flow battery based on viologen derivative

Due to the diversity and feasibility of structural modification for organic molecules,organic-based redox flow batteries(ORFBs) have been widely investigated,especially in aqueous solution under neutral circumstance.In this work,a symmetric aqueous redox flow battery(SARFB) was rationally designed by employing a bipolar redox active molecule(N,N'-dimethyl-4,4-bipyridinium diiodide,MVI_2) as both cathode and anode materials and combining with an anion exchange membrane.For one MVI_2 flow battery,MV~(2+)/MV~(·+) and I~-/I_3~-serve as the redox couples of anode and cathode,respectively.The MVI_2 battery with a working voltage of 1.02 V exhibited a high voltage efficiency of 90.30% and energy efficiency of 89.44% after 450 cycles,and crossover problem was prohibited.The comparable conductivity of MVI_2 water solution enabled to construct a battery even without using supporting electrolyte.Besides,the bipolar character of MVI_2 battery with/without supporting electrolyte was investigated in the voltage range between-1.2 V and 1.2 V,showing excellent stable cycling stability during the polarity-reversal test.     

Bio-Inspired Trace Hydroxyl-Rich Electrolyte Additives for High-Rate and Stable Zn-Ion Batteries at Low Temperatures

High-rate and stable Zn-ion batteries working at low temperatures are highly desirable for practical applications, but are challenged by sluggish kinetics and severe corrosion. Herein, inspired by frost-resistant plants, we report trace hydroxyl-rich electrolyte additives that implement a dual remodeling effect for high-performance low-temperature Zn-ion batteries. The additive with high Zn absorbability not only remodels Zn²⁺ primary solvent shell by alternating H₂O molecules, but also forms a shielding layer thus remodeling the Zn surface, which effectively enhances fast Zn²⁺ de-solvation reaction kinetics and prohibits Zn anode corrosion. Taking trace α-D-glucose (αDG) as a demonstration, the electrolyte obtains a low freezing point of −55.3 °C, and the Zn//Zn cell can stably cycle for 2000 h at 5 mA cm⁻² under −25 °C, with a high cumulative capacity of 5000 mAh cm⁻². A full battery that stably operates for 10000 cycles at −50 °C is also demonstrated.     

Enhancing the Electrochemical Performance of a High-Voltage LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 Cathode in a Carbonate-Based Electrolyte with a Novel and Low-Cost Functional Additive

Butyric anhydride (BA) is used as an effective functional additive to improve the electrochemical performance of a high-voltage LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ (LNMO) cathode. In the presence of 0.5 wt % BA, the capacity retention of a LNMO/Li cell is significantly improved from 15.3 to 88.4 % after 200 cycles at 1 C. Furthermore, the rate performance of the LNMO/Li cell is also effectively enhanced, and the capacity goes up to 112 mAh g⁻¹ even at 5 C, which is considerably higher than that of a LNMO/Li cell in electrolyte without BA additive (95.4 mAh g⁻¹ at 5 C). Linear sweep voltammetry and cyclic voltammetry results reveal that the BA additive can be preferentially oxidized to construct a stable cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) film on the LNMO cathode. Subsequently, the BA-derived CEI film can alleviate the decomposition of the electrolyte and the dissolution of Mn and Ni ions from the LNMO cathode as well as maintain the structural stability of LNMO during the cycling process; this leads to outstanding electrochemical performance. Thus, this work provides an effective and low-cost functional electrolyte for high-voltage LNMO-based LIBs.     

Redox Reaction in Ti−Mn Redox Flow Battery Studied by X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy

We performed X-ray absorption studies for the electrolytes of a Ti−Mn redox flow battery (RFB) to understand the redox reaction of the Ti/Mn ions and formation of precipitates in charged catholyte, because suppression of the disproportionation reaction is a key to improve the cyclability of Ti−Mn RFB and enhance the energy density. Hard X-ray absorption spectroscopy with a high transmittance and soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy to directly observe the 3d orbitals were complementarily employed. Moreover, the Ti/Mn 3d electronic structure for each precipitate and solution in the charged catholyte was investigated by using scanning transmission X-ray microscopy: the valence of Mn in the precipitate is mostly attributed to 4+, and the solution includes only Mn²⁺. This charge disproportionation reaction should occur after the Mn ions in the catholyte should be oxidized from Mn²⁺ to Mn³⁺ by charge.     

Back cover: Mn2+ or Mn3+? Investigating transition metal dissolution of manganese species in lithium ion battery electrolytes by capillary electrophoresis

A new CE method with ultraviolet–visible detection was developed in this study to investigate manganese dissolution in lithium ion battery electrolytes. The aqueous running buffer based on diphosphate showed excellent stabilization of labile Mn³⁺, even under electrophoretic conditions. The method was optimized regarding the concentration of diphosphate and modifier to obtain suitable signals for quantification. Additionally, the finally obtained method was applied on carbonate-based electrolytes samples. Dissolution experiments of the cathode material LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ (lithium nickel manganese oxide [LNMO]) in aqueous diphosphate buffer at defined pH were performed to investigate the effect of a transition metal-ion-scavenger on the oxidation state of dissolved manganese. Quantification of both Mn species revealed the formation of mainly Mn³⁺, which can be attributed to a comproportionation reaction of dissolved and complexed Mn²⁺ with Mn⁴⁺ at the surface of the LNMO structure. It was also shown that the formation of Mn³⁺ increased with lower pH. In contrast, dissolution experiments of LNMO in carbonate-based electrolytes containing LIPF₆ showed only dissolution of Mn²⁺.     

Hybrid Superlattice-Triggered Selective Proton Grotthuss Intercalation in δ-MnO2 for High-Performance Zinc-Ion Battery

A great deal of attention has been paid on layered manganese dioxide (δ−MnO₂) as promising cathode candidate for aqueous zinc-ion battery (ZIB) due to the excellent theoretical capacity, high working voltage and Zn²⁺/H⁺ co-intercalation mechanism. However, caused by the insertion of Zn²⁺, the strong coulomb interaction and sluggish diffusion kinetics have resulted in significant structure deformation, insufficient cycle stability and limited rate capability. And it is still far from satisfactory to accurately modulate H⁺ intercalation for superior electrochemical kinetics. Herein, the terrace-shape δ−MnO₂ hybrid superlattice by polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) pre-intercalation (PVP−MnO₂) was proposed with the state-of-the-art ZIBs performance. Local atomic structure characterization and theoretical calculations have been pioneering in confirming the hybrid superlattice-triggered synergy of electron entropy stimulation and selective H⁺ Grotthuss intercalation. Accordingly, PVP−MnO₂ hybrid superlattice exhibits prominent specific capacity (317.2 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.125 A g⁻¹), significant rate performance (106.1 mAh g⁻¹ at 12.5 A g⁻¹), and remarkable cycle stability at high rate (≈100 % capacity retention after 20,000 cycles at 10 A g⁻¹). Therefore, rational design of interlayer configuration paves the pathways to the development of MnO₂ superlattice for advanced Zn−MnO₂ batteries.     

Zinc–Organic Battery with a Wide Operation‐Temperature Window from −70 to 150 °C

Aqueous zinc (Zn) batteries have been considered as promising candidates for grid‐scale energy storage. However, their cycle stability is generally limited by the structure collapse of cathode materials and dendrite formation coupled with undesired hydrogen evolution on the Zn anode. Herein we propose a zinc–organic battery with a phenanthrenequinone macrocyclic trimer (PQ‐MCT) cathode, a zinc‐foil anode, and a non‐aqueous electrolyte of a N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) solution containing Zn²⁺. The non‐aqueous nature of the system and the formation of a Zn²⁺–DMF complex can efficiently eliminate undesired hydrogen evolution and dendrite growth on the Zn anode, respectively. Furthermore, the organic cathode can store Zn²⁺ ions through a reversible coordination reaction with fast kinetics. Therefore, this battery can be cycled 20 000 times with negligible capacity fading. Surprisingly, this battery can even be operated in a wide temperature range from ?70 to 150 °C.     

An Aqueous Symmetric Sodium‐Ion Battery with NASICON‐Structured Na3MnTi(PO4)3

A symmetric sodium‐ion battery with an aqueous electrolyte is demonstrated; it utilizes the NASICON‐structured Na₃MnTi(PO₄)₃ as both the anode and the cathode. The NASICON‐structured Na₃MnTi(PO₄)₃ possesses two electrochemically active transition metals with the redox couples of Ti⁴⁺/Ti³⁺ and Mn³⁺/Mn²⁺ working on the anode and cathode sides, respectively. The symmetric cell based on this bipolar electrode material exhibits a well‐defined voltage plateau centered at about 1.4 V in an aqueous electrolyte with a stable cycle performance and superior rate capability. The advent of aqueous symmetric sodium‐ion battery with high safety and low cost may provide a solution for large‐scale stationary energy storage.     

Improved Reversible Zinc Storage Achieved in a Constitutionally Crystalline-Stable Mn(VO3)2 Nanobelts Cathode

Rechargeable zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are potential for grid-scale applications owing to their safety, low price, and available sources. The development of ZIBs cathode with high specific capacity, wide operating voltage window and stable cyclability is urgently needed in next-generation commercial batteries. Herein, we report a structurally crystalline-stable Mn(VO₃)₂ nanobelts cathode for ZIBs prepared via a facile hydrothermal method. The as-synthesized Mn(VO₃)₂ exhibited high specific capacity of 350 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.1 A g⁻¹, and maintained a capacity retention of 92 % after 10,000 cycles at 2 A g⁻¹. It also showed good rate performance and obtained a reversible capacity of up to 200 mAh g⁻¹ after 600 cycles at 0.2 A g⁻¹ under −20 °C. The electrochemical tests suggest that Mn(VO₃)₂ nanobelts impart fast Zn²⁺ ions migration, and the introduction of manganese atoms help make the structures more indestructible, leading to a good rate performance and prolonged cycle lifespan.     

Proton-Reservoir Hydrogel Electrolyte for Long-Term Cycling Zn/PANI Batteries in Wide Temperature Range

Advanced aqueous batteries are promising for next generation flexible devices owing to the high safety, yet still requiring better cycling stability and high capacities in wide temperature range. Herein, a polymeric acid hydrogel electrolyte (PAGE) with 3 M Zn(ClO₄)₂ was fabricated for high performance Zn/polyaniline (PANI) batteries. With PAGE, even at −35 °C the Zn/Zn symmetrical battery can keep stable for more than 1 500 h under 2 mA cm⁻², and the Zn/PANI battery can provide ultra-high stable specific capacity of 79.6 mAh g⁻¹ for more than 70 000 cycles at 15 A g⁻¹. This can be mainly ascribed to the −SO₃⁻H⁺ function group in PAGE. It can generate constant protons and guide the (002) plane formation to accelerate the PANI redox reaction kinetics, increase the specific capacity, and suppress the side reaction and dendrites. This proton-supplying strategy by polymeric acid hydrogel may further propel the development of high performance aqueous batteries.     

Synergistic Dual-Additive Electrolyte Enables Practical Lithium-Metal Batteries

A rechargeable Li metal anode coupled with a high-voltage cathode is a promising approach to high-energy-density batteries exceeding 300 Wh kg⁻¹. Reported here is an advanced dual-additive electrolyte containing a unique solvation structure and it comprises a tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane additive and LiNO₃ in a carbonate-based electrolyte. This system generates a robust outer Li₂O solid electrolyte interface and F- and B-containing conformal cathode electrolyte interphase. The resulting stable ion transport kinetics enables excellent cycling of Li/LiNi_0.8Mn_0.1Co_0.1O₂ for 140 cycles with 80 % capacity retention under highly challenging conditions (≈295.1 Wh kg⁻¹ at cell-level). The electrolyte also exhibits high cycling stability for a 4.6 V LiCoO₂ (160 cycles with 89.8 % capacity retention) cathode and 4.95 V LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ cathode.     

A High-Energy NASICON-Type Na3.2MnTi0.8V0.2(PO4)3 Cathode Material with Reversible 3.2-Electron Redox Reaction for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Na superionic conductor (NASICON) structured cathode materials with robust structural stability and large Na⁺ diffusion channels have aroused great interest in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, most of NASICON-type cathode materials exhibit redox reaction of no more than three electrons per formula, which strictly limits capacity and energy density. Herein, a series of NASICON-type Na_3+xMnTi_1−xV_x(PO₄)₃ cathode materials are designed, which demonstrate not only a multi-electron reaction but also high voltage platform. With five redox couples from V^5+/4+ (≈4.1 V), Mn^4+/3+ (≈4.0 V), Mn^3+/2+ (≈3.6 V), V^4+/3+ (≈3.4 V), and Ti^4+/3+ (≈2.1 V), the optimized material, Na_3.2MnTi_0.8V_0.2(PO₄)₃, realizes a reversible 3.2-electron redox reaction, enabling a high discharge capacity (172.5 mAh g⁻¹) and an ultrahigh energy density (527.2 Wh kg⁻¹). This work sheds light on the rational construction of NASICON-type cathode materials with multi-electron redox reaction for high-energy SIBs.     

Studies on Co-oxidation resistances of electrolytes based on sulfolane and lithium bis(oxalato)borate

How to exert the high-voltage performance of LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ and break through the bottleneck effect of corresponding electrolyte have become key points in advanced lithium-ion battery. Lithium bis(oxalato) borate (LiBOB) and sulfolane (SL) are chosen as additives to investigate their effects on the electrochemical performance of lithium-ion battery with LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ cathode. The quantum chemistry calculation theory shows that oxidation potential of SL–BOB^– is dramatically increased, consistent with the experimental result in CV measurement. Meanwhile, results of CV and charge–discharge cycling indicate that LiBOB and SL would be involved in the initial oxidation reaction to form an effective solid electrolyte interface film on surfaces of the cathode electrode thus enhance the cycling performance of LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄/Li cells. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data proves that SL is beneficial to resistance decrease. All these data will become important corroborations that the combined electrolyte LiBOB and SL have good oxidation resistances.     

Electrical-Conductive/Insulating Bi-Functional Layers for Stable Zn Metal Anode

Zinc-ion batteries are regarded as an extremely promising candidate for large-scale energy storage equipment due to the inexpensive ingredients and high safety. However, dendrite growth and side reactions occur in the Zn anode, which lead to exceedingly low coulombic efficiency (CE) and poor cycling stability. In this work, we propose a strategy of a conductive/insulating bi-functional coating layer (CIBL) for stable Zn metal anodes. Porous Ag nanowires (NWs) coating as a conductive layer effectively reduces the nuclear barrier and contains Zn²⁺ deposition in a certain space. Polyimide (PI) coatings as insulating layer implement a shunting effect on Zn²⁺, which could reduce the differential concentration on the Zn surface and induce uniform deposition of Zn²⁺. Therefore, the CIBL−Zn//CIBL−Zn battery achieves stable plating/stripping of over 1300 h at 1 mA cm⁻². The CE of CIBL−Zn//CIBL−Zn battery maintains at 99.2 % even after 1000 cycles. Moreover, the CIBL−Zn//V₂O₅ battery exhibits a capacity of nearly 289.2 mA h g⁻¹ at 5 A g⁻¹ after 3000 cycles and no sign of capacity degradation is found, which further demonstrate the feasibility of this strategy in practical application.     

The Construction of Anion-Induced Solvation Structures in Low-concentration Electrolyte for Stable Zinc Anodes

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are promising large-scale energy storage devices because of their low cost and high safety. However, owing to the high activity of H₂O molecules in electrolytes, hydrogen evolution reaction and side reactions usually take place on Zn anodes. Herein, additive-free PCA−Zn electrolyte with capacity of suppressing the activity of free and solvated H₂O molecules was designed by selecting the cationophilic and solventophilic anions. In such electrolyte, contact ion-pairs and solvent-shared ion-pairs were achieved even at low concentration, where PCA⁻ anions coordinate with Zn²⁺ and bond with solvated H₂O molecules. Simultaneously, PCA⁻ anions also induce the construction of H-bonds between free H₂O molecules and them. Therefore, the activity of free and solvated H₂O molecules is effectively restrained. Furthermore, since PCA⁻ anions possess a strong affinity with metal Zn, they can also adsorb on Zn anode surface to protect Zn anode from the direct contact of H₂O molecules, inhibiting the occurrence of water-triggered side reactions. As a result, plating/stripping behavior of Zn anodes is highly reversible and the coulombic efficiency can reach to 99.43 % in PCA−Zn electrolyte. To illustrate the feasibility of PCA−Zn electrolyte, the Zn||PANI full batteries were assembled based on PCA−Zn electrolyte and exhibited enhanced cycling performance.     

Boosted Mg−CO2 Batteries by Amine-Mediated CO2 Capture Chemistry and Mg2+-Conducting Solid-electrolyte Interphases

Mg−CO₂ battery has been considered as an ideal system for energy conversion and CO₂ fixation. However, its practical application is significantly limited by the poor reversibility and sluggish kinetics of CO₂ cathode and Mg anode. Here, a new amine mediated chemistry strategy is proposed to realize a highly reversible and high-rate Mg−CO₂ battery in conventional electrolyte. Judiciously combined experimental characterization and theoretical computation unveiled that the introduced amine could simultaneously modify the reactant state of CO₂ and Mg²⁺ to accelerate CO₂ cathodic reactions on the thermodynamic-kinetic levels and facilitate the formation of Mg²⁺-conductive solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) to enable highly reversible Mg anode. As a result, the Mg−CO₂ battery exhibits boosted stable cyclability (70 cycles, more than 400 h at 200 mA g⁻¹) and high-rate capability (from 100 to 2000 mA g⁻¹ with 1.5 V overpotential) even at −15 °C. This work opens a newly promising avenue for advanced metal-CO₂ batteries.