Electrochemical hydrogen storage in porous carbons with acidic electrolytes: Uncovering the potential

Electrochemical hydrogen storage in porous carbon materials is emerging as a cost-effective hydrogen storage and transport technology with competitive power and energy densities. The merits of electrochemical hydrogen storage using porous conductive carbon-based electrodes are reviewed. The employment of acidic electrolytes in such storage systems is compared with alkaline electrolytes. The recent innovations of a proton battery for smaller-scale electricity storage, and a proton flow reactor system for larger (grid)-scale storage and bulk export of hydrogen produced from renewable energy, are briefly described. It is argued that such systems, along with variants proposed by others, all of which rely on electrochemical hydrogen storage in porous carbons, can contribute to the search for energy storage technologies essential for the transition to a zero-emission global economy.     

Nonflammable nonaqueous electrolytes for lithium batteries

As the energy density of state-of-the-art lithium (Li)-ion batteries (LIBs) increases, the safety concern of LIBs using liquid electrolytes is drawing increasing attention. Flammability of electrolytes is a critical link of the overall safety performance of LIBs and Li metal batteries. For this reason, intensive efforts have been devoted to suppressing the flammability of liquid electrolytes. In this short review, the common approaches to reduce the flammability of the nonaqueous liquid electrolytes will be summarized. The advantages and limitations of these approaches will also be discussed.     

Defect Engineering and Anisotropic Modulation of Ionic Transport in Perovskite Solid Electrolyte LixLa(1−x)/3NbO3

Solid electrolytes, such as perovskite Li_3xLa_2/1−xTiO₃, Li_xLa_(1−x)/3NbO₃ and garnet Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ ceramic oxides, have attracted extensive attention in lithium-ion battery research due to their good chemical stability and the improvability of their ionic conductivity with great potential in solid electrolyte battery applications. These solid oxides eliminate safety issues and cycling instability, which are common challenges in the current commercial lithium-ion batteries based on organic liquid electrolytes. However, in practical applications, structural disorders such as point defects and grain boundaries play a dominating role in the ionic transport of these solid electrolytes, where defect engineering to tailor or improve the ionic conductive property is still seldom reported. Here, we demonstrate a defect engineering approach to alter the ionic conductive channels in Li_xLa_(1−x)/3NbO₃ (x = 0.1~0.13) electrolytes based on the rearrangements of La sites through a quenching process. The changes in the occupancy and interstitial defects of La ions lead to anisotropic modulation of ionic conductivity with the increase in quenching temperatures. Our trial in this work on the defect engineering of quenched electrolytes will offer opportunities to optimize ionic conductivity and benefit the solid electrolyte battery applications.     

Composite Polybenzimidazole Membrane with High Capacity Retention for Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

Currently, energy storage technologies are becoming essential in the transition of replacing fossil fuels with more renewable electricity production means. Among storage technologies, redox flow batteries (RFBs) can represent a valid option due to their unique characteristic of decoupling energy storage from power output. To push RFBs further into the market, it is essential to include low-cost materials such as new generation membranes with low ohmic resistance, high transport selectivity, and long durability. This work proposes a composite membrane for vanadium RFBs and a method of preparation. The membrane was prepared starting from two polymers, meta-polybenzimidazole (6 μm) and porous polypropylene (30 μm), through a gluing approach by hot-pressing. In a vanadium RFB, the composite membrane exhibited a high energy efficiency (~84%) and discharge capacity (~90%) with a 99% capacity retention over 90 cycles at 120 mA·cm⁻², exceeding commercial Nafion^® NR212 (~82% efficiency, capacity drop from 90% to 40%) and Fumasep^® FAP-450 (~76% efficiency, capacity drop from 80 to 65%).     

Fast Li-Ion Conduction in Spinel-Structured Solids

Spinel-structured solids were studied to understand if fast Li⁺ ion conduction can be achieved with Li occupying multiple crystallographic sites of the structure to form a “Li-stuffed” spinel, and if the concept is applicable to prepare a high mixed electronic-ionic conductive, electrochemically active solid solution of the Li⁺ stuffed spinel with spinel-structured Li-ion battery electrodes. This could enable a single-phase fully solid electrode eliminating multi-phase interface incompatibility and impedance commonly observed in multi-phase solid electrolyte–cathode composites. Materials of composition Li_1.25M(III)_0.25TiO₄, M(III) = Cr or Al were prepared through solid-state methods. The room-temperature bulk Li⁺-ion conductivity is 1.63 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ for the composition Li_1.25Cr_0.25Ti_1.5O₄. Addition of Li₃BO₃ (LBO) increases ionic and electronic conductivity reaching a bulk Li⁺ ion conductivity averaging 6.8 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹, a total Li-ion conductivity averaging 4.2 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹, and electronic conductivity averaging 3.8 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ for the composition Li_1.25Cr_0.25Ti_1.5O₄ with 1 wt. % LBO. An electrochemically active solid solution of Li_1.25Cr_0.25Mn_1.5O₄ and LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ was prepared. This work proves that Li-stuffed spinels can achieve fast Li-ion conduction and that the concept is potentially useful to enable a single-phase fully solid electrode without interphase impedance.     

Graphdiyne:A Versatile Material in Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage

Graphdiyne(GDY),which is composed of sp2-/sp-hybridized carbon atoms,has attracted increasing attention.In the structure of GDY,the existence of large triangular-like pores,well dispersed electron-rich cavities as well as a large π-conjugated structure endows GDY with a natural bandgap,fast electron/ion transport,and tunable electronic properties.These unique features make GDY competitive in areas of gas separation and capture,electronics,detectors,catalysts,biomedicine and therapy,and energy-related fields.Benefiting from the facile synthesis method,various GDY structures and GDY-based composites have been successfully prepared and show great potential in the practical application of energy storage and catalysis areas.Here,this review aims at providing a timely and comprehensive update on the preparation and application of GDY materials.The current development of GDY materials in various electrochemical fields especially in energy conversion,energy storage,and catalysis is mainly summarized.Moreover,the potential development prospects are also discussed.     

含异原子石墨炔基电极材料的研究进展

碳材料具有价格低廉、 易制备、 环境友好、 导电性高、 比表面积大以及适合离子存储和迁移等优点, 已成为目前应用于电化学储能器件电极的重要材料之一. 石墨炔(GDY)是一种新型的二维碳同素异形体, 由sp²碳杂化形式的苯环和sp碳杂化形式的炔键构成. 这种独特的化学结构一方面保持了碳材料良好的导电特性, 另一方面形成了新颖的离子传输通道, 为碳材料带来了不同的离子传输和存储特性. 与此同时, 由于石墨炔的空间结构可调性, 可以通过引入异原子微调石墨炔电子结构, 拓展石墨炔在电极材料领域的应用. 本文重点对近几年异原子杂化石墨炔基电极材料在锂离子电池、 钠离子电池、 金属硫电池、 电容器、 金属空气电池和电极保护等储能领域的研究工作进行总结, 并对未来石墨炔类材料在储能领域的发展进行了展望.     

锂金属负极亲锂骨架的研究进展

随着电动汽车和便携式电子产品的快速发展, 人们对于高比能二次电池的需求越来越迫切. 锂金属以其极高的理论比容量和极低的电极电势被视为下一代高比能电池理想负极材料之一. 但是, 锂枝晶的生长及体积膨胀等问题限制了金属锂负极的实际应用. 在金属锂负极中引入三维骨架可以有效抑制锂枝晶生长, 缓解体积膨胀. 其中亲锂骨架可以降低锂的形核能垒, 诱导锂的均匀成核, 更加有效地调控锂沉积行为. 本文结合国内外的研究进展总结了锂金属负极中亲锂骨架的研究成果. 根据亲锂材料的不同对亲锂骨架进行了分类, 总结了各类亲锂骨架在调控锂沉积行为和提高电池性能方面取得的成果, 并对其今后的研究和发展进行了展望.     

固相烧结法制备锂离子电池正极材料Li2FeP2O7及其电化学性能研究

介绍了一种先冷冻干燥后固相烧结制备正极材料Li₂FeP₂O₇的方法. 利用X射线衍射(XRD)、 扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、 透射电子显微镜(TEM)和傅里叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)对材料的组成和形态进行表征, 并通过循环伏安曲线(CV)和电化学阻抗谱(EIS)研究了Li₂FeP₂O₇材料的电化学性能. 研究发现, 合成Li₂FeP₂O₇的最佳温度为590 ℃, 此温度下反应较完全且产物杂质较少, 1.6C倍率下的放电比容量达到55 mA·h·g^?1, 明显高于其它温度下合成样品的放电比容量. 该温度下合成的Li₂FeP₂O₇还具有低阻抗和较大的交换电流密度, 说明这种合成方式有利于提高锂离子在Li₂FeP₂O₇中的扩散.     

基于表界面反应及优化的锂金属电池研究进展

金属锂具有高理论比容量和低还原电位, 是锂电池阳极的理想材料之一. 但在长期循环充放电过程中, 金属锂因锂枝晶生长会导致出现界面恶化及能量损失严重等问题, 对锂金属电极与电解质表界面反应的优化是一个重要研究方向. 本文介绍了锂枝晶产生的危害, 从分析及抑制锂枝晶沉积两方面综合评述了为解决这一问题所采取的方法, 包括固态电解质界面形成机制和保护机理、 表面改性、 三维锂阳极和液态/固态电解质等方法, 总结了各种方法的优劣势, 并展望锂金属电池在能源领域的研究前景.