Recent progress on confinement of polysulfides through physical and chemical methods

With high theoretical energy density and the natural abundance of S, lithium-sulfur(Li–S) batteries are considered to be the promising next generation high-energy rechargeable energy storage devices. However, issues including electronical insulation of S, the lithium polysulfides(Li PSs) dissolution and the short cycle lifespan have prevented Li–S batteries from being practical applied. Feasible settlements of confining Li PSs to reduce the loss of active substances and improve the cycle stability include wrapping sulfur with compact layers, designing matrix with porous or hollow structures, adding adsorbents owning strong interaction with sulfur and inserting polysulfide barriers between cathodes and separators. This review categorizes them into physical and chemical confinements according to the influencing mechanism. With further discussion of their merits and flaws, synergy of the physical and chemical confinement is believed to be the feasible avenue that can guide Li–S batteries to the practical application.     

Nanocarbons and their hybrids as catalysts for non-aqueous lithium–oxygen batteries

Rechargeable lithium-oxygen(Li–O_2) batteries have been considered as the most promising candidates for energy storage and conversion devices because of their ultra high energy density. Until now, the critical scientific challenges facing Li–O_2batteries are the absence of advanced electrode architectures and highly efficient electrocatalysts for both oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction(OER), which seriously hinder the commercialization of this technology. In the last few years, a number of strategies have been devoted to exploring new catalysts with novel structures to enhance the battery performance. Among various of oxygen electrode catalysts, carbon-based materials have triggered tremendous attention as suitable cathode catalysts for Li–O_2batteries due to the reasonable structures and the balance of catalytic activity, durability and cost. In this review, we summarize the recent advances and basic understandings related to the carbon-based oxygen electrode catalytic materials, including nanostructured carbon materials(one-dimensional(1D) carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers, 2D graphene nanosheets, 3D hierarchical architectures and their doped structures), and metal/metal oxide-nanocarbon hybrid materials(nanocarbon supporting metal/metal oxide and nanocarbon encapsulating metal/metal oxide). Finally, several key points and research directions of the future design for highly efficient catalysts for practical Li–O_2batteries are proposed based on the fundamental understandings and achievements of this battery field.     

Recent advances on flexible electrodes for Na-ion batteries and Li–S batteries

Flexible energy storage devices are essential for emerging flexible electronics. The existing state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries are slowly reaching their limitation in terms of cost and energy density. Hence, flexible Na-ion batteries(SIBs) with abundance Na resources and Li–S batteries with high energy density become the alternative for the Li-ion batteries in future. This review summarizes the recent advances in the development of flexible electrode materials for SIBs with metallic matrix and carbonaceous matrix such as carbon nano-tubes, carbon nano-fiber, graphene, carbon cloth, carbon fiber cloth, and cotton textiles.Then, the potential prototype flexible full SIBs are discussed. Further, the recent progress in the development of flexible electrode materials for Li–S batteries based on carbon nano-fiber, carbon nano-tubes,graphene, and cotton textiles is reviewed. Moreover, the design strategies of suitable interlayer, separator,electrolyte, and electrodes to prevent the dissolution and shuttle effect of polysulfides in flexible Li–S batteries are provided. Finally some prospective investigation trends towards future research of flexible SIBs and Li–S batteries are also proposed and discussed. The scientific and engineering knowledge gained on flexible SIBs and Li–S batteries provides conceivable development for practical application in near future.     

Strategies with Functional Materials in Tackling Instability Challenges of Non-aqueous Lithium-Oxygen Batteries

The instabilities of the battery including cathode corrosion/passivation,shuttling effect of the redox mediators,Li anode corrosion,and electrolyte decomposition are major barriers toward the practical implementation of lithium-oxygen(Li-O2)batteries.Functional materials offer great potential in high performance Li-O2 batteries owing to their functional tailorability of chemical modification for alleviating side reactions and improving catalysis activity,well-defined properties for discharge products storage,and fast mass and electron transfer paths.In this review,instability problems of non-aqueous Li-O2 batteries and recent studies related to the functional materials in tackling the instability issues from rational cathode construction,inhibition of redox mediators(RMs)shuttling,anode protection and novel electrolyte design are illustrated.Future research directions to overcome the critical issues are also proposed for this promising battery technology.The instability issues and the related strategies with functional materials based on the comprehensive consideration of all battery components proposed in this review provide the systematic,deep understanding and rational design of functional materials for Li-O2 batteries,which is beneficial to achieving the practical Li-O2 batteries.     

Recent progress in fluorinated electrolytes for improving the performance of Li–S batteries

Lithium–sulfur(Li–S) batteries represent a "beyond Li-ion" technology with low cost and high theoretical energy density and should fulfill the ever-growing requirements of electric vehicles and stationary energy storage systems. However, the sulfur-based conversion reaction in conventional liquid electrolytes results in issues like the so-called shuttle effect of polysulfides and lithium dendrite growth, which deteriorate the electrochemical performance and safety of Li–S batteries. Optimization of conventional organic solvents(including ether and carbonate) by fluorination to form fluorinated electrolytes is a promising strategy for the practical application of Li–S batteries. The fluorinated electrolytes, owing to the high electronegativity of fluorine, possesses attractive physicochemical properties, including low melting point,high flash point, and low solubility of lithium polysulfide, and can form a compact and stable solid electrolyte interphase(SEI) with the lithium metal anode. Herein, we review recent advancements in the development of fluorinated electrolytes for use in Li–S batteries. The effect of solvent molecular structure on the performance of Li–S batteries and the formation mechanism of SEI on the cathode and anode sides are analyzed and discussed in detail. The remaining challenges and future perspectives of fluorinated electrolytes for Li–S batteries are also presented.     

Failure analysis of pouch-type Li–O2 batteries with superior energy density

Li–O2 batteries have attracted significant interest in the past decade owing to their superior high specific energy density in contrast to conventional lithium ion batteries.An 8.7-Ah Li–O2 pouch cell with768.5 Wh kg^-1 was fabricated and characterized in this investigation and the factors that influenced the electrochemical performance of the Li–O2 pouch cell were studied.In contrast to coin/Swagelok-type Li–O2 cells,it was demonstrated that the high-loading air electrode,pulverization of the Li anode,and the large-scale inhomogeneity of the large pouch cell are the major reasons for the failure of Li–O2 batteries with Ah capacities.In addition,safety tests of large Li–O2 pouch cells were conducted for the first time,including nail penetration,crushing,and thermal stability.It was indicated that a self-limiting mechanism is a key safety feature of these batteries,even when shorted.In this study,Li–O2 batteries were investigated in a new size and capacity-scale,which may provide useful insight into the development of practical pouch-type Li–O2 batteries.     

MoS2 nanorods with inner caves through synchronous encapsulation of sulfur for high performance Li–S cathodes

Lithium–sulfur(Li–S)batteries have become one of the most promising candidates for next-generation batteries owing to their high specific capacity,low cost,and environment-friendliness.Many efforts have been made to mitigate the"shuttle effect"through physical adsorption and chemical bonding.MoS2 has been proposed as a cathode material to provide effective anchoring sites for lithium polysulfides(Li PSs),but is still limited by its layer structure.Herein,we designed novel MoS2 nanorods with inner caves based on our previous work,and performed synchronous encapsulation of sulfur during the synthesis process.The outer MoS2 tubular shells physically inhibit the outward diffusion of polysulfide species while the inner particles chemically anchor the polysulfides to prevent shuttling.As the cathode matrix in Li–S batteries,the electrochemical results deliver a high initial discharge capacity of 1213 mAhg^-1 for sulfur at 0.1 C.After cycling at 1 C for 300 cycles,the cells exhibit a capacity decay of only 0.076%per cycle and high average coulombic efficiency over 95%.The tubular MoS2 structure is an innovative and appealing design,which could be regarded as a prospective substrate for the improved performance of Li–S batteries.     

An integrated approach to improve the performance of lean–electrolyte lithium–sulfur batteries

While the sulfur conversion reaction kinetics in Li–S batteries is nowadays improved by the use of appropriate electrocatalysts,it remains a challenge for the batteries to perform well under the lean electrolyte condition where polysulfide shuttle,electrode passivation and the loss of electrolyte due to side reactions,are aggravated.These challenges are addressed in this study by the tandem use of a polysulfide conversion catalyst and a redox–targeting mediator in a gel sulfur cathode.Specifical...     

Single-atom catalysts for metal-sulfur batteries:Current progress and future perspectives

Metal-sulfur batteries are recognized as a promising candidate for next generation electrochemical energy storage systems owing to their high theoretical energy density,low cost and environmental friendliness.However,sluggish redox kinetics of sulfur species and the shuttle effect lead to large polarization and severe capacity decay.Numerous approaches from physical barrier,chemical adsorption strategies to electrocatalysts have been tried to solve these issues and pushed the rate and cycle performance of sulfur electrodes to higher levels.Most recently,single-atom catalysts(SACs)with high catalytic efficiency have been introduced into metal-sulfur systems to achieve fast redox kinetics of sulfur conversion.In this review,we systematically summarize the current progress on SACs for sulfur electrodes from aspects of synthesis,characterization and electrochemical performance.Challenges and potential solutions for designing SACs for high-performance sulfur electrodes are discussed.     

Selective electrocatalytic conversion of methane to fuels and chemicals

The increase in natural gas reserves makes methane a significant hydrocarbon feedstock. However, the direct catalytic conversion of methane into liquid fuels and useful chemicals remains a great challenge,and many studies have been devoted to this field in the past decades. Electrocatalysis is considered as an important alternative approach for the direct conversion of methane into value-added chemicals, although many other innovative methods have been developed. This review highlights recent advances in electrocatalytic conversion of methane to ethylene and methanol, two important chemicals. The electrocatalytic systems efficient for methane conversions are summarized with an emphasis on catalysts and electrolytes. The effects of reaction conditions such as the temperature and the acid–base property of the reaction medium are also discussed.     

A Li-S battery with ultrahigh cycling stability and enhanced rate capability based on novel ZnO yolk-shell sulfur host

Currently,lithium-sulfur(Li-S)batteries still suffer from fast capacity decay,poor coulombic efficiency(CE)and short cycling lifespan,which result from the severe shuttle effect issue caused by high solubility and rapid diffusion of lithium polysulfides(Li PSs)in organic electrolytes.Here,yolk-shell zinc oxide(YSZn O)spheres are synthesized and for the first time,applied as a host for Li-S batteries to tackle this challenge.The polar Zn O exhibits high chemical anchoring ability toward Li PSs while the unique yolk-shell structure not only provides an additional physical barrier to Li PSs but also enables much more uniform sulfur distribution,thus significantly suppressing Li PSs shuttling effect meanwhile promoting sulfur conversion reactions.As a result,the YS-Zn O enables the Li-S battery to display an initial specific capacity of1355 m Ah g^-1 and an outstanding capacity retention capability(~89.44%retention rate)even after 500 cycles with the average CE of~99.46%at the current of 0.5 C.By contrast,the capacity of conventional-Zn O-nanoparticles based battery severely decays to 472 m Ah g^-1 after cycling for 500 times.More impressively,the S/YS-Zn O based Li-S battery can maintain a low decay rate of 0.040%every cycle and high average CE of 98.82%over 1000 cycles at 3 C.     

Recent advances in spinel-type electrocatalysts for bifunctional oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions

The demand for efficient and environmentally-benign electrocatalysts that help availably harness the renewable energy resources is growing rapidly. In recent years, increasing insights into the design of water electrolysers, fuel cells, and metal–air batteries emerge in response to the need for developing sustainable energy carriers, in which the oxygen evolution reaction and the oxygen reduction reaction play key roles. However, both reactions suffer from sluggish kinetics that restricts the reactivity. Therefore, it is vital to probe into the structure of the catalysts to exploit high-performance bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts. Spinel-type catalysts are a class of materials with advantages of versatility, low toxicity, low expense, high abundance, flexible ion arrangement, and multivalence structure. In this review, we afford a basic overview of spinel-type materials and then introduce the relevant theoretical principles for electrocatalytic activity, following that we shed light on the structure–property relationship strategies for spinel-type catalysts including electronic structure, microstructure, phase and composition regulation,and coupling with electrically conductive supports. We elaborate the relationship between structure and property, in order to provide some insights into the design of spinel-type bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts.     

Recent advances in energy storage mechanism of aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Aqueous rechargeable zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs)have recently attracted increasing research interest due to their unparalleled safety,fantastic cost competitiveness and promising capacity advantages compared with the commercial lithium ion batteries.However,the disputed energy storage mechanism has been a confusing issue restraining the development of ZIBs.Although a lot of efforts have been dedicated to the exploration in battery chemistry,a comprehensive review that focuses on summarizing the energy storage mechanisms of ZIBs is needed.Herein,the energy storage mechanisms of aqueous rechargeable ZIBs are systematically reviewed in detail and summarized as four types,which are traditional Zn²⁺insertion chemistry,dual ions co-insertion,chemical conversion reaction and coordination reaction of Zn²⁺with organic cathodes.Furthermore,the promising exploration directions and rational prospects are also proposed in this review.     

Prospect and Reality of Concentration Gradient Cathode of Lithium-ion Batteries

Li[NixMnyCoz]O2 cathodes are currently the most practicable materials in the timing of developing high-performance rechargeable batteries for next-generation technologies.With the ever-growing demand for energy density,a significant breakthrough has been achieved by the controllable concentration design forming core-shell and concentration gradient structures to push Li[NixCoyMnz]O2 toward higher energy density,longer lifetime and safety.Herein,we review the recent progress on advanced concentration gradient cathode materials.Furthermore,we prospect that this novel approach will continuously extend its advantages in developing extremely fast charging and Co-free cathode materials in the near future.     

A quantum-chemical study on the discharge reaction mechanism of lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries have attracted a great interest in electrochemical energy conversion and storage, but their discharge mechanism remains not well understood up to now. Here, we report density functional theory (DFT) calculation study of the discharge mechanism for lithium-sulfur batteries which are based on the structure of S8 and Li2S x (1≤x≤8) clusters. The results show that for Li2S x (1≤x≤8) clusters, the most stable geometry is chainlike when x = 1 and 6, while the minimal-energy structure is found to be cyclic when x = 2-5, 7,8. The stability of Li2S x (1≤x≤8) clusters increases with the decreasing x value, indicating a favorable thermodynamic tendency of transition from S8 to Li2S. A three-step reaction route has been proposed during the discharge process, that is, S8 →Li2S4 at about 2.30 V, Li2S4 →Li2S2 at around 2.22 V, and Li2S2 → Li2S at 2.18 V. Furthermore, the effect of the electrolyte on the potential platform has been also investigated. The discharge potential is found to increase with the decrease of dielectric constant of the electrolyte. The computational results could provide insights into further understanding the discharge mechanism of lithium-sulfur batteries.     

Nanostructured strategies towards boosting organic lithium-ion batteries

Pursuing material development for next-generation batteries,organic electrode materials have shown great potential for lithium-ion batteries.However,their widespread adopting is plagued by intrinsic problems such as poor electronic conductivity,high dissolution inside electrolytes and unstable chemical peculiarity.Recently,nanostructured-strategies promoted organic electrodes with exotic properties for enhancing electron and ion transport together with the stability during electrochemical process,have received increasing attention and have been extensive applied in boosting the organic lithium-ion based energy storage.In this review,we summarize the applications of nanostructures to improve the performance of both organic anodes and cathodes,including(i)nanoscale design of zero-dimensional organic electrode materials,(ii)strategies of one-dimensional nanostructured organic electrode materials,(iii)construction of two-dimensional nanosized organic composite electrodes,and(iv)three-dimensional exploration of nanosized organic electrodes.We hope to stimulate high-quality applied research on understanding and handling the relationship between the nanostructure and performance of organic lithium-ion batteries that might speed up the commercialization of organic lithium ion batteries.     

Recent progress on the recycling technology of Li-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)have been widely applied in portable electronic devices and electric vehicles.With the booming of the respective markets,a huge quantity of spent LIBs that typically use either LiFePO₄ or Li N_xCo_yMn_zO₂ cathode materials will be produced in the very near future,imposing significant pressure for the development of suitable disposal/recycling technologies,in terms of both environmental protection and resource reclaiming.In this review,we firstly do a comprehensive summary of the-state-of-art technologies to recycle Li N_xCo_yMn_zO₂ and LiFePO₄-based LIBs,in the aspects of pretreatment,hydrometallurgical recycling,and direct regeneration of the cathode materials.This closed-loop strategy for cycling cathode materials has been regarded as an ideal approach considering its economic benefit and environmental friendliness.Afterward,as for the exhausted anode materials,we focus on the utilization of exhausted anode materials to obtain other functional materials,such as graphene.Finally,the existing challenges in recycling the LiFePO₄ and Li N_xCo_yMn_zO₂ cathodes and graphite anodes for industrial-scale application are discussed in detail;and the possible strategies for these issues are proposed.We expect this review can provide a roadmap towards better technologies for recycling LIBs,shed light on the future development of novel battery recycling technologies to promote the environmental benignity and economic viability of the battery industry and pave way for the large-scale application of LIBs in industrial fields in the near future.     

Research progress on gel polymer electrolytes for lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur(Li-S)batteries have become a promising candidate for advanced energy storage system owing to low cost and high theoretical specific energy.In the last decade,in pursuit of Li-S batteries with enhanced safety and energy density,the investigation on the electrolytes has leaped form liquid organic electrolytes to solid polymer ones.However,such solid-state Li-S battery system is greatly limited by unfavorable ionic conductivity,poor interfacial contact and narrow electrochemical windows on account of the absence of any liquid components.To address these issues,gel polymer electrolytes(GPEs),the incorporation of liquid electrolytes into solid polymer matrixes,have been newly developed.Although the excellent ionic transport and low interfacial resistance provided by GPEs have prompted numerous researchers to make certain progress on high-performance Li-S coins,a comprehensive review on GPEs for Li-S batteries remains vacant.Herein,this review focuses on recent development and progress on GPEs in view of their physical and chemical properties for the applications in Li-S batteries.Studies on the components including solid hosts,liquid solutions and fillers of GPEs are systematically summarized with particular emphasis on the relationship between components and performance.Finally,current challenges and directional outlook for fabricating GPEs-based Li-S batteries with outstanding performance are outlined.     

Fullerenes for rechargeable battery applications: Recent developments and future perspectives

The development of high-performance batteries is inseparable from the exploration of new materials.Among them,fullerene C60 as an allotrope of carbon has many unique properties that are beneficial for battery applications,including precise structure,controllable derivatization,good solubility,and rich redox chemistry.In this review,we summarize the recent progress of fullerene-based materials in the field of rechargeable batteries and the key issues that need to be solved in the future application of fullerene.We hope this review can provide guidance and stimulate research about the applications of fullerenes in the field of energy storage.     

Recent advances in carbon nanostructures prepared from carbon dioxide for high-performance supercapacitors

The burgeoning global economy during the past decades gives rise to the continuous increase in fossil fuels consumption and rapid growth of CO₂ emission,which demands an urgent exploration into green and sustainable devices for energy storage and power management.Supercapacitors based on activated carbon electrodes are promising systems for highly efficient energy harvesting and power supply,but their promotion is hindered by the moderate energy density compared with batteries.Therefore,scalable conversion of CO₂ into novel carbon nanostructures offers a powerful alternative to tackle both issues:mitigating the greenhouse effect caused by redundant atmospheric CO₂ and providing carbon materials with enhanced electrochemical performances.In this tutorial review,the techniques,opportunities and barriers in the design and fabrication of advanced carbon materials using CO₂ as feedstock as well as their impact on the energy-storage performances of supercapacitors are critically examined.In particular,the chemical aspects of various Cv2 conversion reactions are highlighted to establish a detailed understanding for the science and technology involved in the microstructural evolution,surface engineering and porosity control of CO₂-converted carbon nanostructures.Finally,the prospects and challenges associated with the industrialization of CO₂ conversion and their practical application in supercapacitors are also discussed.