Batteries articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Constructing an artificial solid electrolyte interphase to protect the lithium metal electrode is promising but challenging. Here, authors report a facile approach to form a layer to simultaneously overcome diffusion and advection-limited ion transport to achieve dendrite-free Li plating/stripping.

    • Jyotshna Pokharel
    • , Arthur Cresce
    •  & Yue Zhou

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Aqueous batteries have a short lifespan due to Al current collector corrosion and Li loss from side reactions on the anode. Here, the authors propose a prototype of self-prolonging aqueous Li-ion batteries by introducing hydrolyzation-type anodic additives to regulate Al corrosion-passivation.

    • Binghang Liu
    • , Tianshi Lv
    •  & Liumin Suo

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The authors present a single [0001]-oriented Zn metal anode with high reversibility and demonstrate the significance of the Zn(0002) metal anode, characterized by a single crystalline orientation, for promoting ultra-sustainable homoepitaxial growth.

    • Xiaotan Zhang
    • , Jiangxu Li
    •  & Jiang Zhou

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The increasing production of lithium-ion batteries and plastics presents significant challenges to resource sustainability and ecosystem integrity. This study highlights the utilization of spent lithium cobalt oxide cathodes as photothermal catalysts to transform various waste polyesters into valuable monomers.

    • Xiangxi Lou
    • , Penglei Yan
    •  & Jinxing Chen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Glass sulfide electrolytes are promising materials for solid-state Li metal batteries, yet limited understanding hinders their progress. Here, the authors decipher the dissolution process of halogen dopants in glass and introduce a synthetic strategy to increase halogen dopant’s dissolution capacity.

    • Han Su
    • , Yu Zhong
    •  & Jiangping Tu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Here, the authors report an entanglement association polymer electrolyte with a polymer matrix and copolymer stabilizer. The developed entangled structure forms a stable interface for the polymer electrolyte during charging and discharging.

    • Hangchao Wang
    • , Yali Yang
    •  & Dingguo Xia

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Improving catalyst efficiency is vital for Li-CO2 batteries, but understanding catalyst structures during battery operation is hard. Here, the authors uncover catalyst reconstruction and its link to activity, highlighting a self-constructed oxysulfide structure with high activity and stability in Li-CO2 batteries.

    • Yingqi Liu
    • , Zhiyuan Zhang
    •  & Hui-Ming Cheng

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Electric vehicle battery supply chains are currently vulnerable to supply disruptions in China, but research shows that the cumulative effect of multiple supply chain steps creates additional vulnerabilities across multiple critical battery minerals.

    • Anthony L. Cheng
    • , Erica R. H. Fuchs
    •  & Jeremy J. Michalek

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Electrode potential in any electrochemical systems has long been discussed by classical Debye-Hückel theory which holds only under extremely dilute concentrations. Here, the authors establish the concept ‘liquid Madelung potential’ to comprehensively describe the potential shift at practical concentrations.

    • Norio Takenaka
    • , Seongjae Ko
    •  & Atsuo Yamada

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Solid electrolytes play a crucial role as ion conductors and separator between electrodes in all-solid-state batteries. Here, the authors report a high-entropy halide solid electrolyte, which reveals the structure evolution with the increasing configurational entropy and improves the high-voltage stability.

    • Zhenyou Song
    • , Tengrui Wang
    •  & Wei Luo

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Alternatives to lithium-ion electrochemistry present challenges due to undesirable phenomena at the electrode-electrolyte interface. Through simulations, the authors find that the performance of a calcium-based electrolyte is driven entirely by molecular-scale processes within approximately 1 nm of the electrode.

    • Ana Sanz Matias
    • , Fabrice Roncoroni
    •  & David Prendergast

  • Article
    | Open Access

    O2-type Li-rich layered cathodes suppress voltage decay and aid in oxygen redox research. Here, the authors report trilateral relationship among anionic redox utilization, bulk chemo-mechanical degradation, and electrochemical fading, which can be mitigated by balancing the redox center capabilities.

    • Ho-Young Jang
    • , Donggun Eum
    •  & Kisuk Kang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In the Li-S battery, a promising next-generation battery chemistry, electrolytes are vital because of solvated polysulfide species. Here, the authors investigate solvation-property relationships via the measurement of solvation free energy of the electrolytes, guiding advanced electrolyte design for Li-S batteries.

    • Sang Cheol Kim
    • , Xin Gao
    •  & Yi Cui

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Due to recent fluctuations in lithium prices, the instability of lithium-ion batteries prices is on the rise. Here, through a re-evaluation of purity criteria, the authors report that the presence of magnesium impurity in lithium precursor actually improves cathode performance, economics, and environmental aspects.

    • Gogwon Choe
    • , Hyungsub Kim
    •  & Yong-Tae Kim

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Micro-sized silicon are promising anode materials due to low-cost and high-energy, yet their application is hindered by inaccessible electrolytes. Here, the authors report sulfolane-based electrolytes that form silicon-phobic interphases and enable high-voltage pouch cells to achieve superior cycle life.

    • Ai-Min Li
    • , Zeyi Wang
    •  & Chunsheng Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Analysis of capacitive behavior of electrode materials used in batteries and pseudocapacitors is challenging. Here, authors report an electrochemical signal analysis method available as an online tool to classify the charge storage behavior of a material as battery-like or a pseudocapacitor-like.

    • Siraprapha Deebansok
    • , Jie Deng
    •  & Olivier Fontaine

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The pursuit of all-solid-state batteries has motivated advancements in materials design. Here, the authors present a methodology demonstrating that ionic potential effectively captures crucial interactions within halide materials, guiding the design of the new materials with enhanced performance.

    • Qidi Wang
    • , Yunan Zhou
    •  & Marnix Wagemaker

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Direct recycling or upcycling is promising for sustainable battery resource management. Here, the authors report a subtractive transformation strategy for upcycling spent cathode materials to high-performance 5 V-class cathodes, reducing reliance on rare elements for the sustainable Li-ion battery industry.

    • Jun Ma
    • , Junxiong Wang
    •  & Guangmin Zhou

  • Comment
    | Open Access

    The emergence of high-entropy materials has inspired the exploration of novel materials in diverse technologies. In electrochemical energy storage, high-entropy design has shown advantageous impacts on battery materials such as suppressing undesired short-range order, frustrating energy landscape, decreasing volumetric change and reducing the reliance on critical metals. This comment addresses the definition and potential improper use of the term “high entropy” in the context of battery materials design, highlights the unique properties of high-entropy materials in battery applications, and outlines the remaining challenges in the synthesis, characterization, and computational modeling of high-entropy battery materials.

    • Bin Ouyang
    •  & Yan Zeng

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The development of practical Ca metal batteries has been hindered by the cathode chemistry. Here, the authors report a rechargeable Ca/Cl2 battery, which involves the reversible cathode redox reaction between CaCl2 and Cl2.

    • Shitao Geng
    • , Xiaoju Zhao
    •  & Hao Sun

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A critical challenge of solid-state batteries is Li-filament penetration. Here, by quantifying microstructural properties and employing modeling techniques, the authors provide insight into solid-state battery failure modes and offer design guidelines to enhance safety and performance.

    • Mouhamad S. Diallo
    • , Tan Shi
    •  & Gerbrand Ceder

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Li–CO2 batteries following Li2CO3-product route suffers from low output voltage and severe parasitic reactions. Here, the authors introduce a copper-based solid redox mediator in Li–CO2 batteries with an efficient Li2C2O4 product route to circumvent the shuttle effect and sluggish kinetics caused by soluble mediators.

    • Wei Li
    • , Menghang Zhang
    •  & Haoshen Zhou

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The growth of dendrites and the occurrence of side reactions at zinc anodes currently impede the practical use of aqueous zinc batteries. Here, the authors present an advanced substrate screening approach aimed at stabilizing zinc anodes, thereby enabling the development of high-rate zinc-metal batteries.

    • Zhiyang Zheng
    • , Xiongwei Zhong
    •  & Guangmin Zhou

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Aqueous sodium-ion batteries show promise for large-scale energy storage, yet face challenges due to water decomposition, limiting their energy density and lifespan. Here, the authors report a cathode surface coating strategy in an alkaline electrolyte to enhance the stability of both electrolyte and battery.

    • Han Wu
    • , Junnan Hao
    •  & Shi-Zhang Qiao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Rechargeable lithium batteries featuring 5 V cathodes offer high energy density yet struggle with stability. Here, the authors formulate an electrolyte incorporating dimethyl 2,5-dioxahexanedioate solvent, which facilitates stable lithium plating and stripping while offering an extended cycle life.

    • Xiaozhe Zhang
    • , Pan Xu
    •  & Alexandru Vlad

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Rechargeable magnesium batteries suffer from poor mobility of Mg-ions, severely affecting the electrochemical performance. Here, authors demonstrate a strategy of co-intercalation of monovalent ions into the host lattice, which substantially improves Mg-ion mobility and battery performance.

    • Ananyo Roy
    • , Mohsen Sotoudeh
    •  & Zhenyou Li

  • Article
    | Open Access

    As electric vehicle batteries adopt cobalt-free layered cathodes to tackle supply chain issues, it greatly impacts battery lifespan. Here, the authors develop a lithium stoichiometry control method to synthesize cobalt-free composite-structured cathodes with high cycling stability, enabling long-life sustainable batteries.

    • Ke Chen
    • , Pallab Barai
    •  & Feng Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The practical deployment of aqueous zinc-ion batteries is hindered by the structure deterioration and side reactions at electrodes. Here, the authors introduce a weakly solvating electrolyte with butanone as an electrolyte additive to stabilize both the cathode and anode of aqueous zinc-ion batteries simultaneously.

    • Xin Shi
    • , Jinhao Xie
    •  & Xihong Lu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Conduction in solid-state electrolytes composed of monatomic ions is found to be analogous to the paddle-wheel mechanism in molecular solid electrolytes, facilitated by rotational motion of lone pair electrons, helping unify understanding of mechanisms.

    • Harender S. Dhattarwal
    • , Rahul Somni
    •  & Richard C. Remsing

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