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Tailoring deposition and morphology of discharge products towards high-rate and long-life lithium-oxygen batteries
Poor rate capability and low cycle stability are common problems in lithium-oxygen batteries. Xuet al.present a free-standing palladium-modified carbon-based cathode with a tailored porous honeycomb-like structure, which is capable of high-rate and long-term battery operation.
- Ji-Jing Xu
- , Zhong-Li Wang
- & Xin-Bo Zhang
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A nanostructured cathode architecture for low charge overpotential in lithium-oxygen batteries
Lithium-oxygen batteries can deliver high-energy densities, but their performance suffers from large charge-discharge overpotential. Lu et al.design a cathode by integrating electrode coating and electrocatalyst in a nanostructured architecture, whereby the overpotential is reduced to 0.2 V.
- Jun Lu
- , Yu Lei
- & Khalil Amine
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A zero-strain layered metal oxide as the negative electrode for long-life sodium-ion batteries
Anode materials in sodium-ion batteries can undergo significant volume change upon sodium insertion and extraction, leading to deteriorated cycling performance. Wang et al. report a layered metal oxide anode with zero-strain characteristics, which may lead to extended battery cycle life.
- Yuesheng Wang
- , Xiqian Yu
- & Xuejie Huang
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Membrane-less hydrogen bromine flow battery
Membrane-less electrochemical systems eliminate the need for costly ion-exchange membranes, but typically suffer from low-power densities. Braff et al.propose a hydrogen bromine laminar flow battery, which rivals the performance of the best membrane-based systems.
- William A. Braff
- , Martin Z. Bazant
- & Cullen R. Buie
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Stable Li-ion battery anodes by in-situ polymerization of conducting hydrogel to conformally coat silicon nanoparticles
Nanostructured silicon is a promising anode material for lithium ion batteries but needs to tolerate large volume increase upon lithiation. Wu et al. solve this problem by binding silicon nanoparticles to a conducting polymer hydrogel via in-situpolymerization, which also improves cycling stability.
- Hui Wu
- , Guihua Yu
- & Yi Cui
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High-performance rechargeable lithium-iodine batteries using triiodide/iodide redox couples in an aqueous cathode
Aqueous lithium batteries can store more energy because of their high ionic conductivity compared with the all-solid-state or non-aqueous electrolyte based counterparts. Zhao et al. report a large energy storage density by using safe and low-cost triiodide/iodide redox reaction in an aqueous cathode.
- Yu Zhao
- , Lina Wang
- & Hye Ryung Byon
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Direct atomic-scale confirmation of three-phase storage mechanism in Li4Ti5O12 anodes for room-temperature sodium-ion batteries
The development of suitable anode materials for room-temperature sodium-ion batteries remains a challenging issue. Sun et al. show that the well-known zero-strain Li4Ti5O12anode for lithium storage is capable of reversibly hosting sodium ions via a three-phase storage mechanism.
- Yang Sun
- , Liang Zhao
- & Xuejie Huang
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A reversible long-life lithium–air battery in ambient air
Lithium air batteries have among the highest energy storage capacities, but their effective lifetime is short when using liquid electrolytes. Zhang et al. realize a lithium air battery with much improved cycling stability in ambient air by combining a solid electrolyte and a gel cathode.
- Tao Zhang
- & Haoshen Zhou
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Advanced zinc-air batteries based on high-performance hybrid electrocatalysts
Metal-air batteries are promising for energy storage because of their high theoretical energy density, but their realization is hampered by the lack of efficient and robust air catalysts. Li et al. construct stable zinc-air batteries using novel catalysts for oxygen reduction and evolution reactions.
- Yanguang Li
- , Ming Gong
- & Hongjie Dai
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| Open AccessNanobatteries in redox-based resistive switches require extension of memristor theory
The original definition of a memristor envisions a two-terminal memory device with a pinched, zero-crossing hysteresis loop. As the authors show here, an electromotive force leads to non-zero-crossing characteristics in nanoionic-type memristors, implying that the memristor definition must be amended.
- I. Valov
- , E. Linn
- & R. Waser
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High-power lithium ion microbatteries from interdigitated three-dimensional bicontinuous nanoporous electrodes
Microbatteries offer new opportunities for microelectronics, but performance and integration remain a challenge. Pikul et al. develop a lithium ion microbattery with fully integrated nanoporous electrodes, which exceeds the power densities of most supercapacitors while retaining high-energy density.
- James H. Pikul
- , Hui Gang Zhang
- & William P. King
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Graphene-modified LiFePO4 cathode for lithium ion battery beyond theoretical capacity
The specific capacity of an important commercial cathode material, lithium iron phosphate, is much lower than its theoretical value. Hu et al. report that incorporation of electrochemically exfoliated graphene layers in a carbon coating improves capacity beyond that predicted by theory.
- By Lung-Hao Hu
- , Feng-Yu Wu
- & Lain-Jong Li
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New class of nonaqueous electrolytes for long-life and safe lithium-ion batteries
Safe lithium-ion batteries require stable electrolytes with high chemical resistance and high thermal tolerance. Chen et al. find a solid lithium-salt electrolyte that is able to give rise to a prolonged battery life and a delayed decomposition of battery cathodes.
- Zonghai Chen
- , Yang Ren
- & Khalil Amine
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Stretchable batteries with self-similar serpentine interconnects and integrated wireless recharging systems
Components for flexible electronics capable of both bending and stretching have been reported but the fabrication of similarly pliable power sources remains challenging. Here, the authors present stretchable lithium ion batteries exploiting segmented layouts and deformable electrical interconnects.
- Sheng Xu
- , Yihui Zhang
- & John A. Rogers
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A new class of Solvent-in-Salt electrolyte for high-energy rechargeable metallic lithium batteries
Commercial lithium-ion batteries normally use a liquid electrolyte. Suo et al. show that a glassy-like electrolyte containing a high concentration of lithium salt leads to a substantially enhanced battery performance because of suppressed formation of lithium dendrites on the lithium metal anodes.
- Liumin Suo
- , Yong-Sheng Hu
- & Liquan Chen
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Aromatic porous-honeycomb electrodes for a sodium-organic energy storage device
A huge demand for lithium batteries necessitates more affordable alternatives. Sakaushi et al. describe rechargeable sodium batteries containing organic electrodes with a porous-honeycomb structure that are comparable to lithium batteries and capable of over 7,000 cycles.
- Ken Sakaushi
- , Eiji Hosono
- & Jürgen Eckert
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Sulphur–TiO2 yolk–shell nanoarchitecture with internal void space for long-cycle lithium–sulphur batteries
The practical performance of lithium–sulphur batteries is lower than expected because of polysulphide dissolution into the electrolyte over time. Sehet al. show that a yolk–shell nanoarchitecture is able to encapsulate sulphur cathode materials efficiently and thus allows over 1,000 charge/discharge cycles.
- Zhi Wei Seh
- , Weiyang Li
- & Yi Cui
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Lithium–sulphur batteries with a microporous carbon paper as a bifunctional interlayer
The practical performance of lithium sulphide batteries is much less than their predicted performance because redox products dissolve over time. Su and Manthiram show that microporous carbon membranes inserted between cathode and separator localize soluble polysulphide species and improve battery cycling characteristics.
- Yu-Sheng Su
- & Arumugam Manthiram
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A high-rate and long cycle life aqueous electrolyte battery for grid-scale energy storage
The integration of volatile renewable energy sources into the electrical power grid will require a significant increase in electrical storage capacity. Here a new type of safe, fast, inexpensive and long-life aqueous electrolyte battery is reported, which may aid the development of increased grid capacity.
- Mauro Pasta
- , Colin D. Wessells
- & Yi Cui
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An ultrafast nickel–iron battery from strongly coupled inorganic nanoparticle/nanocarbon hybrid materials
Fast rechargeable batteries made from low-cost and abundant electrode materials are attractive for energy storage. Wanget al. develop an ultrafast Ni–Fe battery with carbon/inorganic hybrid electrodes in which the charge and discharge rates are nearly 1,000-fold higher than traditional Ni–Fe batteries.
- Hailiang Wang
- , Yongye Liang
- & Hongjie Dai
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| Open AccessSuperionic glass-ceramic electrolytes for room-temperature rechargeable sodium batteries
Rechargeable solid-state batteries are promising sources of energy for a range of applications. Hayashiet al. examine the electrochemistry of solid-state sodium batteries, and present an electrolyte that operates at room temperature.
- Akitoshi Hayashi
- , Kousuke Noi
- & Masahiro Tatsumisago
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Copper hexacyanoferrate battery electrodes with long cycle life and high power
Batteries that operate at high power and cycling efficiencies could facilitate the development of large-scale energy storage systems. Wessellset al.report a metal–organic framework electrode that operates in an inexpensive aqueous electrolyte with excellent capacity retention over a very large number of cycles.
- Colin D. Wessells
- , Robert A. Huggins
- & Yi Cui
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A high-rate long-life Li4Ti5O12/Li[Ni0.45Co0.1Mn1.45]O4 lithium-ion battery
Advanced rechargeable lithium-ion batteries have potential applications in the renewable energy and sustainable road transport fields. Junget al. have developed a lithium battery that uses pre-existing concepts but has highly competitive energy densities, life span and cycling properties.
- Hun-Gi Jung
- , Min Woo Jang
- & Bruno Scrosati
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| Open AccessReverse electrowetting as a new approach to high-power energy harvesting
High-power mechanical energy harvesting could be an alternative to batteries, but efficient energy conversion technology has been missing. Here, a novel mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion method is described that is based on reverse electrowetting and is uniquely suited for high-power energy harvesting.
- Tom Krupenkin
- & J. Ashley Taylor
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| Open AccessStructure and compatibility of a magnesium electrolyte with a sulphur cathode
Magnesium is an ideal rechargeable battery anode material, but coupling it with a low-cost sulphur cathode, requires a non-nucleophilic electrolyte. Kimet al. prepare a non-nucleophilic electrolyte from hexamethyldisilazide magnesium chloride and aluminium trichloride, and show its compatibility with a sulphur cathode.
- Hee Soo Kim
- , Timothy S. Arthur
- & John Muldoon
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Stabilizing lithium–sulphur cathodes using polysulphide reservoirs
Lithium–sulphur batteries may achieve higher energy densities than conventional lithium-ion cells, but the dissolution of sulphur intermediates is a continuing challenge. Here this problem is overcome using a cathode with a mesoporous structure that is able to accommodate intermediate polysulphide anions.
- Xiulei Ji
- , Scott Evers
- & Linda F. Nazar