Electrodeposited Ni(OH)<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanostructures on electro-etched carbon fiber paper for highly stable supercapacitors

Herein, we introduce a facile, inexpensive and fast, and additive-/template-free method to fabricate highly stable nickel hydroxide nanofibers for supercapacitor applications. Ni(OH)₂ nanofibers were electrodeposited on electro-etched carbon fiber paper by a potential step method (Ni(OH)₂-ECFs) and characterized using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. Electrochemical performance of Ni(OH)₂-ECF was studied in symmetric two-electrode assembly by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge–discharge method, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. A specific capacitance of 277.5 F g^?1 was achieved for the symmetric supercapacitor based on two identical Ni(OH)₂-ECFs. Our findings demonstrate high-rate capability with excellent stability (approximately 100 % capacitance retention) for Ni(OH)₂-ECF supercapacitor, originated from the intimate contact between Ni(OH)₂ and ECF. Our studies suggest the Ni(OH)₂-ECF electrode as an excellent material for supercapacitor applications.     

Highly stable asymmetric supercapacitors based on Ni(OH)<Subscript>2</Subscript> deposited on electro-etched carbon paper

Herein, we introduce the application of nickel hydroxide nanosheets on the electro-etched carbon fiber (ECF) formed via a direct electrodeposition, for fabrication of asymmetric supercapacitor. To confirm the practical applicability of prepared Ni(OH)₂–ECF, an asymmetric device was assembled using Ni(OH)₂–ECF in combination with an activated carbon (AC) electrode. Our results showed a substantial cycling stability (96% capacitance retention after 10000 cycles) and considerable rate capability at large discharge currents (60% capacitance retention at 8 A g^??1) for this asymmetric supercapacitor that may have originated from the good contact between Ni(OH)₂ and ECF. A maximum specific capacitance of 88.1 F g^??1 was achieved for Ni(OH)₂–ECF//AC/CF device and showed considerable rate capability at large discharge currents (60% capacitance retention at 8 A g^??1). The results of this study suggest the Ni(OH)₂–ECF electrode is an excellent material for fabrication of supercapacitor electrodes.     

Electrodeposition of three-dimensional Ni(OH)<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoflakes on partially crystallized activated carbon for high-performance supercapacitors

Three-dimensional Ni(OH)₂ nanoflakes were prepared via a facile and cost-effective electrodeposition method using commercial activated carbon (AC) as substrate. Nitric acid treatment (NT) and partial crystallization (PC) by metal nickel catalysis were applied for AC. The effects of the oxygen-containing functional groups and the degree of crystallization on the electrochemical performance of the electrode were investigated. The resulting Ni(OH)₂/PC–NT–AC/nickel foam electrode exhibits distinct performance with a specific capacitance of 2971 F/g (scaled to the mass of active Ni(OH)₂) at a current density of 6 A/g. A high capacitance of 1919 F/g was still achieved even at 40 A/g, which is much higher than Ni(OH)₂/AC/nickel foam electrode and Ni(OH)₂/NT–AC/nickel foam electrode. The excellent performance of Ni(OH)₂/PC–NT–AC/nickel foam electrode can be attributed to the presence of large surface area and highly conductive PC–NT–AC network on nickel foam. This study presents an effective method to improve the dispersion and rate capability of Ni(OH)₂ nanostructure electrodes.     

Enhanced electrochemical performance of nano-MnO2 modified by Ni(OH)2 as electrode material for supercapacitor

Ni(OH)₂ was compounded to MnO₂ in an easy liquid phase process to improve the diffusion process of the electrode. The as-prepared materials were a mixture of amorphous and nanocrystalline with aggregated nanoparticles forming slit-shaped pore structures. The composite has higher specific surface area and smaller pore volume compared with pristine MnO₂. Electrochemical properties of the electrodes were carried out with cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge–discharge tests, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The MnO₂/Ni(OH)₂ composites exhibited enhanced electrochemical properties than that of pristine MnO₂. Remarkably, the composite which contains 3 % Ni(OH)₂ exerted the best discharged specific of 408 F g^?1 under 0.2 A g^?1, much higher than 247 F g^?1 of pristine MnO₂ at the same current density. Better rate capability and cycling stability were also realized by the same composite in comparison.     

From nickel oxalate dihydrate microcubes to NiS<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanocubes for high performance supercapacitors

In this study, NiS₂ nanocubes were successfully synthesized by a novel facile solvothermal method using NiC₂O₄·2H₂O microstructures and used as an electrode for high-performance supercapacitors. The electrochemical properties of the prepared NiS₂ electrode were studied using galvanostatic charge–discharge analysis, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies. Its maximum specific capacitance was 2077 F g^?1 at a constant current density of about 0.65 A g^?1. Further, the EIS results confirmed the pseudocapacitive nature of the NiS₂ electrode. The experimental results suggested that the NiS₂ electro-active material demonstrates excellent electrochemical performance with high specific capacitance, low resistance, and excellent cycling stability.     

Facile and scalable fabrication of graphene/polypyrrole/MnO<Subscript>x</Subscript>/Cu(OH)<Subscript>2</Subscript> composite for high-performance supercapacitors

In this study, to improve the specific capacitance of graphene-based supercapacitor, novel quadri composite of G/PPy/MnO_x/Cu(OH)₂ was synthesized by using a facile and inexpensive route. First, a two-step method consisting of thermal decomposition and in situ oxidative polymerization was employed to fabricate graphene/polypyrrole/manganese oxide composites. Second, Cu(OH)₂ nanowires were deposited on Cu foil. Afterwards, for the electrochemical measurements, composite powders were deposited on Cu(OH)₂/Cu foil substrate as working electrodes. The synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The XRD analysis revealed the formation of PPy/graphene, Mn₃O₄/graphene, and graphene/polypyrrole/MnO_x. In addition, the presence of polypyrrole and manganese oxides was confirmed using FT-IR and Raman spectroscopies. Graphene/polypyrrole/MnO_x/Cu(OH)₂ electrode showed the best electrochemical performance and exhibited the largest specific capacitance of approximately 370 F/g at the scan rate of 10 mV/s in 6 M KOH electrolyte. In addition, other electrochemical measurements (charge–discharge, EIS and cyclical performance) of the G/Cu(OH)₂, G/PPy/Cu(OH)₂, G/Mn₃O₄/Cu(OH)₂, and G/PPy/MnO_x/Cu(OH)₂ electrodes suggested that the G/PPy/MnO_x/Cu(OH)₂ composite electrode is promising materials for supercapacitor application.     

Enhancing effect of boron trifluoride diethyl etherate electrolytes on capacitance performance of electropolymerized poly[poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-vinyl-carbazole)] films

In this paper, poly[poly(N-vinyl-carbazole)] (PPVK) films electrodeposited in tetrahydrofuran (THF) containing 12 % boron trifluoride diethyl etherate (BFEE) were studied as electrode active material for supercapacitors. The morphology and thermal property were characterized by SEM, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and thermogravimetry (TG), respectively. The electrochemical capacitive behaviors of the PPVK films were also investigated by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge/discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrochemical results showed that the specific capacitance of PPVK films in CH₃CN solution was about 126 mF cm^?2 at 1.5 mA cm^?2 and the capacitance retention was only 14.4 % after 1000 cycles. It was exciting to improve the specific capacitance up to 169.3 mF cm^?2 at 1.5 mA cm^?2 and to make the cyclic stability increase to 81.8 % capacitance retention after 5000 cycles when the equivalent BFEE was added into the CH₃CN solution containing 0.05 M Bu₄NBF₄ electrolyte. These results clearly demonstrated that BFEE was an efficient promoter for the enhancement of the capacitance performance of PPVK films. Therefore, with the help of BFEE electrolyte, the PPVK films have potential application as capacitive materials in high-performance energy storage devices.     

A high mass loading electrode based on ultrathin Co<Subscript>3</Subscript>S<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanosheets for high performance supercapacitor

There is a growing need for the electrode with high mass loading of active materials, where both high energy and high power densities are required, in current and near-future applications of supercapacitor. Here, an ultrathin Co₃S₄ nanosheet decorated electrode (denoted as Co₃S₄/NF) with mass loading of 6 mg cm^?2 is successfully fabricated by using highly dispersive Co₃O₄ nanowires on Ni foam (NF) as template. The nanosheets contained lots of about 3～5 nm micropores benefiting for the electrochemical reaction and assembled into a three-dimensional, honeycomb-like network with 0.5～1 μm mesopore structure for promoting specific surface area of electrode. The improved electrochemical performance was achieved, including an excellent cycliability of 10,000 cycles at 10 A g^?1 and large specific capacitances of 2415 and 1152 F g^?1 at 1 and 20 A g^?1, respectively. Impressively, the asymmetric supercapacitor assembled with the activated carbon (AC) and Co₃S₄/NF electrode exhibits a high energy density of 79 Wh kg^?1 at a power density of 151 W kg^?1, a high power density of 3000 W kg^?1 at energy density of 30 Wh kg^?1 and 73 % retention of the initial capacitance after 10,000 charge-discharge cycles at 2 A g^?1. More importantly, the formation process of the ultrathin Co₃S₄ nanosheets upon reaction time is investigated, which is benefited from the gradual infiltration of sulfide ions and the template function of ultrafine Co₃O₄ nanowires in the anion-exchange reaction.

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Graphical abstract The ultrathin 2D Co₃S₄ nanosheets fabricated on 3D Ni foam and the formation process of the ultrathin Co₃S₄ nanosheets upon reaction times has been investigated. At the same time, the Co₃S₄/NF electrode displays an outstanding specific capacitance of 2420 F g^?1 at 1 A g^?1 with high mass loading of 6 mg cm^?2.

     

Fabrication and the electrochemical activation of network-like MnO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoflakes as a flexible and large-area supercapacitor electrode

Porous network-like MnO₂ thick films are successfully synthesized on a flexible stainless steel (SS) mesh using a simple and low-cost electrodeposition method followed by an electrochemical activation process. Morphology, chemical composition, and crystal structure of the prepared electrodes before and after the activation process are determined and compared by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. The results show that the implementation of the electrochemical activation process does not change the chemical composition and crystal structure of the films, but it influences the surface morphology of the MnO₂ thick layer to a flaky nanostructure. Based on the electrochemical data analysis, the maximum specific capacitance of 1400 mF (381 F g^?1) and 3700 mF (352 F g^?1) are measured for small (2.6 cm²) and large (10 cm²) surface area electrodes, respectively. In addition, a flexible symmetric MnO₂//MnO₂ solid-state supercapacitor shows a capacitance of 0.3 F with about 98% retention at different bending angles from 0 to 360°.     

Supercapacitive performance of homogeneous Co<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanotube arrays enhanced by carbon layer and oxygen vacancies

Self-supported and binder-free electrodes based on homogeneous Co₃O₄/TiO₂ nanotube arrays enhanced by carbon layer and oxygen vacancies (Co₃O₄/co-modified TiO₂ nanotube arrays (m-TNAs)) are prepared via a simple and cost-effective method in this paper. The highly ordered TNAs offer direct pathways for electron and ion transport and can be used as 3D substrate for the decoration of electroactive materials without any binders. Then, by a facile one-step calcination process, the electrochemical performance of the as-obtained carbon layer and oxygen vacancy m-TNAs is approximately 83 times higher than that of pristine TNAs. In addition, Co₃O₄ nanoparticles are uniformly deposited onto the m-TNAs by a universal chemical bath deposition (CBD) process to further improve the supercapacitive performance. Due to the synergistic effect of m-TNAs and Co₃O₄ nanoparticles, a maximum specific capacitance of 662.7 F g^?1 can be achieved, which is much higher than that of Co₃O₄ decorated on pristine TNAs (Co₃O₄/TNAs; 166.2 F g^?1). Furthermore, the specific capacitance retains 86.0 % of the initial capacitance after 4000 cycles under a high current density of 10 A g^?1, revealing the excellent long-term electrochemical cycling stability of Co₃O₄/m-TNAs. Thus, this kind of heterostructured Co₃O₄/m-TNAs could be considered as promising candidates for high-performance supercapacitor electrodes.     

Dip time-dependent SILAR synthesis and electrochemical study of highly flexible PPy-Cu(OH)<Subscript>2</Subscript> hybrid electrodes for supercapacitors

The effect of dip time variations on electrochemical performance of polypyrrole (PPy)-copper hydroxide hybrid thin-film electrodes was studied well in depth. Synthesis was carried out using a successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method via an aqueous route, using 0.1 M pyrrole, 0.1 M Cu(NO₃)₂, and H₂O₂. The electrochemical analysis was made by using cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) analysis, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image of optimized electrode shows nanolamellae-like structures. The characteristic peak observed in Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis at 1558 cm^?1 validates the existence of PPy in hybrid electrode material, while the peaks observed at 21.5° and 44.5° in X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns are evidence for triclinic Cu(OH)₂. The observed maximum values of specific capacitance (SC), specific power (SP), specific energy (SE), and coulombic efficiency (η) of the optimized electrode are 56.05 F/g, 10.48 Wh/kg, 11.11 kW/kg, and 46.47%, respectively. For originality and value, the SILAR synthesis of PPy-Cu(OH)₂ hybrid thin-film electrodes was carried out for the very first time. Synthesized electrodes showed improved surface structures and electrochemical stability than the pristine PPy electrodes which are necessary for the supercapacitive applications.

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Graphical abstract ?

     

Layered LiNi<Subscript>0.80</Subscript>Co<Subscript>0.15</Subscript>Al<Subscript>0.05</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> as cathode material for hybrid Li<Superscript>+</Superscript>/Na<Superscript>+</Superscript> batteries

LiNi_0.80Co_0.15Al_0.05O₂ (NCA) is explored to be applied in a hybrid Li⁺/Na⁺ battery for the first time. The cell is constructed with NCA as the positive electrode, sodium metal as the negative electrode, and 1 M NaClO₄ solution as the electrolyte. It is found that during electrochemical cycling both Na⁺ and Li⁺ ions are reversibly intercalated into/de-intercalated from NCA crystal lattice. The detailed electrochemical process is systematically investigated by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry, ex situ X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic cycling, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The NCA cathode can deliver initially a high capacity up to 174 mAh g^?1 and 95% coulombic efficiency under 0.1 C (1 C?=?120 mA g^?1) current rate between 1.5–4.1 V. It also shows excellent rate capability that reaches 92 mAh g^?1 at 10 C. Furthermore, this hybrid battery displays superior long-term cycle life with a capacity retention of 81% after 300 cycles in the voltage range from 2.0 to 4.0 V, offering a promising application in energy storage.     

Synthesis and characterization of Pd-La(OH)3/C electrocatalyst for direct ethanol fuel cell

The composite nanomaterial of Pd-La(OH)₃/C was successfully synthesized via intermittent microwave heating–glycol reduction method and characterized with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The TEM photograph shows that Pd-La(OH)₃ is well polymerized and dispersed on the carbon support. The performance of the prepared material for ethanol oxidation was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), chronoamperometry (CA), and chronopotentiometry (CP) measurements in alkaline media. The results reveal that Pd-La(OH)₃/C has significantly higher activity and stability than that of Pd/C with the same Pd loading of 0.1 mg cm^?2. The stable potential reaches to ?0.38 V vs. Hg/HgO at 20 mA cm^?2 on the Pd-La(OH)₃/C electrode in CP curve. Single direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) was constructed using Pd-La(OH)₃/C electrode and MnO₂/C electrode as the ethanol anode and air cathode respectively, where the cell voltage can stay at 0.4 V under the current density of 20 mA cm^?2 by discharge test at room temperature.     

Hybrids of MnO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoparticles anchored on graphene sheets as efficient sulfur hosts for high-performance lithium sulfur batteries

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) battery is considered as a promising option for electrochemical energy storage applications because of its low-cost and high theoretical capacity. However, the practical application of Li–S battery is still hindered due to the poor electrical conductivity of S cathode and the high dissolution/shuttling of polysulfides in electrolyte. Herein, we report a novel physical and chemical entrapment strategy to address these two problems by designing a sulfur–MnO₂@graphene (S–MnO₂@GN) ternary hybrid material structure. The MnO₂ particles with size of ~ 10 nm are anchored tightly on the wrinkled and twisted GN sheets to form a highly efficient sulfur host. Benefiting from the synergistic effects of GN and MnO₂ in both improving the electronic conductivity and hindering polysulfides by physical and chemical adsorptions, this unique S–MnO₂@GN composite exhibits excellent electrochemical performances. Reversible specific capacities of 1416, 1114, and 421 mA h g^?1 are achieved at rates of 0.1, 0.2, and 3.2 C, respectively. After a 100 cycle stability test, S–MnO₂@GN composite cathode could still maintain a reversible capacity of 825 mA h g^?1.     

Co<Subscript>2</Subscript>(OH)<Subscript>3</Subscript>Cl xerogels with 3D interconnected mesoporous structures as a novel high-performance supercapacitor material

Co₂(OH)₃Cl xerogel interconnected mesoporous structures have been prepared by a facile one pot sol-gel process and heat treated at 200 and 400 °C. All samples are studied for their morphology, structure, and electrochemical stability upon cycling. The specific capacitance of the as-prepared Co₂(OH)₃Cl from single electrode study is 450 F/g, when the electrodes are cycled in 3 M KOH at a specific current 2 A/g. Interestingly, capacity retention after 500 and 1000 cycles is about 92 and 75 %, respectively. Sample heated at 200 °C exhibits 308 F/g at 2 A/g and that heated at 400 °C shows only 32 F/g at 0.2 A/g. With an increase in preparation temperature, amorphous Co₂(OH)₃Cl is converted to crystalline Co₃O₄ phases with lower electrochemical performance. In full cell study, as-prepared Co₂(OH)₃Cl showed a capacity of about 49 F/g as asymmetric capacitor and 32 F/g as symmetric capacitor at 2 A/g current density. Co₂(OH)₃Cl being a novel porous material with merits of homogeneous porosity, high surface area, and an interconnected three dimensional (3D) structure exhibits considerably high capacitance. With a significant specific capacity and electrochemical stability, the synthesized material is a novel potential candidate for supercapacitors.

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Graphical abstract ?

     

Synthesis and characterization of Co(OH)<Subscript>2</Subscript>/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanotube composites as supercapacitor materials

A novel composite of Co(OH)₂ and TiO₂ nanotubes was synthesized by a chemical precipitation method. Co(OH)₂/TiO₂ nanotube composites and its microstructure were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD). The electrochemical capacitance performance of this composite was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and charge–discharge tests with a three-electrode system in 6 M KOH solution. We synthesized different weight ratios of Co(OH)₂/TiO₂ nanotubes, a maximum specific capacitance of 229 F/g was obtained for the composite. Based on these tests, we propose that TiO₂ nanotubes provide the three-dimensional nanotube network structure for the composite and make the Co(OH)₂ dispersed. For these reasons, the TiO₂ nanotubes used as a framework for Co(OH)₂ improve the utilization of Co(OH)₂ greatly.     

EQCM study of redox properties of PEDOT/MnO<Subscript>2</Subscript> composite films in aqueous electrolytes

Electrochemical behavior of poly-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene composites with manganese dioxide (PEDOT/MnO₂) has been investigated by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance at various component ratios and in different electrolyte solutions. The electrochemical formation of PEDOT film on the electrode surface and PEDOT/MnO₂ composite film during the electrochemical deposition of manganese dioxide into the polymer matrix was gravimetrically monitored. The mass of manganese dioxide deposited into PEDOT at different time of electrodeposition and apparent molar mass values of species involved into mass transfer during redox cycling of PEDOT/MnO₂ composites were evaluated. It was found that during the redox cycling of PEDOT/MnO₂ composite films with various MnO₂ content, the oppositely directed fluxes of counterions (anions and cations) occur, resulting in a change of the slope of linear parts of the Δf–E plots with changing the mass fraction of MnO₂ in the composite film.Rectangular shape of cyclic voltammograms of PEDOT/MnO₂ composites with different loadings of manganese dioxide was observed, which is characteristic of the pseudocapacitive behavior of the composite material. Specific capacity values of PEDOT/MnO₂ composites obtained from cyclic voltammograms were about 169 F g^?1. The specific capacity, related to the contribution of manganese dioxide component, was about 240 F g^?1.     

Fabrication of strawberry-like nano-CdSe thin films for photoelectrochemistry by selenizing Cd(OH)<Subscript>2</Subscript> deposits obtained from the anodization of Cd

CdSe is an important semiconductor for photoelectrochemistry. Here, we propose a two-step method for preparing thin films of aggregated CdSe nanoparticles on Cd electrodes. We first anodized the Cd electrode in an aqueous solution of 0.2 M KNO₃ at ?0.9 V (vs. Hg|Hg₂SO₄(s)|K₂SO₄ (saturated)) into a porous and layered structure covered with Cd(OH)₂ precipitation, and then selenized the Cd(OH)₂ deposited on the Cd anode in an aqueous solution of 0.2 M Na₂SeSO₃. The resulting CdSe nanoparticles self-assembled into strawberry-like nanoaggregates. The anodization time and selenization time were optimized separately. Under our experimental conditions, the optimized anodization time was 80 s, whereas the optimized selenization time ranged from 15 to 60 min, corresponding to the partial or complete conversion of the deposited Cd(OH)₂ into smaller and larger strawberry-like CdSe nanoaggregates, respectively. The optimized partially and completely selenized films showed photocurrent responses that were enhanced in different ways but demonstrated comparable performances. They presented an anodic photocurrent density as high as 3.2 mA cm^?2 at ?0.3 V with good stability under visible light illumination of 100 mW cm^?2 in a solution containing a sacrificial reagent of ascorbic acid.

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Graphical Abstract Strawberry-like CdSe nanoaggregates were prepared by selenizing the anodization film of Cd(OH)₂ on Cd electrode and they demonstrated enhanced photoelectrochemical performance.

     

Li<Subscript>3</Subscript>V<Subscript>2</Subscript>(PO<Subscript>4</Subscript>)<Subscript>3</Subscript>/nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite with enhanced lithium storage properties

The three-dimensional porous Li₃V₂(PO₄)₃/nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (LVP/N-RGO) composite was prepared by a facile one-pot hydrothermal method and evaluated as cathode material for lithium-ion batteries. It is clearly seen that the novel porous structure of the as-prepared LVP/N-RGO significantly facilitates electron transfer and lithium-ion diffusion, as well as markedly restrains the agglomeration of Li₃V₂(PO₄)₃ (LVP) nanoparticles. The introduction of N atom also has positive influence on the conductivity of RGO, which improves the kinetics of electrochemical reaction during the charge and discharge cycles. It can be found that the resultant LVP/N-RGO composite exhibits superior rate properties (92 mA h g^?1 at 30 C) and outstanding cycle performance (122 mA h g^?1 after 300 cycles at 5 C), indicating that nitrogen-doped RGO could be used to improve the electrochemical properties of LVP cathodes for high-power lithium-ion battery application.

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Graphical abstract The three-dimensional porous Li₃V₂(PO₄)₃/nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide composite with significantly accelerating electron transfer and lithium-ion diffusion exhibits superior rate property and outstanding cycle performance.

     

Rational design of double-confined Mn<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>/S@Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> nanocube cathodes for lithium-sulfur batteries

Due to the high specific capacities and environmental benignity, lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have shown fascinating potential to replace the currently dominant Li-ion batteries to power portable electronics and electric vehicles. However, the shuttling effect caused by the dissolution of polysulfides seriously degrades their electrochemical performance. In this paper, Mn₂O₃ microcubes are fabricated to serve as the sulfur host, on top of which Al₂O₃ layers of 2 nm in thickness are deposited via atomic layer deposition (ALD) to form Mn₂O₃/S (MOS) @Al₂O₃ composite electrodes. The MOS@Al₂O₃ electrode delivers an excellent initial capacity of 1012.1 mAh g^?1 and a capacity retention of 78.6% after 200 cycles at 0.5 C, and its coulombic efficiency reaches nearly 99%, giving rise to much better performance than the neat MOS electrode. These findings demonstrate the double confinement effect of the composite electrode in that both the porous Mn₂O₃ structure and the atomic Al₂O₃ layer serve as the spacious host and the protection layer of sulfur active materials, respectively, for significantly improved electrochemical performance of the Li-S battery.