Energy storage articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Water is believed to undermine the performance of aprotic lithium–air batteries. However, the authors here disclose different battery chemistry, showing that both lithium ions and protons are involved in the battery reactions in the presence of water, leading to an unprecedented dynamic product.

    • Yun Guang Zhu
    • , Qi Liu
    •  & Qing Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cycling-induced fracture can limit conditions for stable operation for various lithium-ion electrode materials. Here, the authors characterize fracture in nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide microscopically and provide evidence for dislocation-assisted, intragranular fracture operating above a critical voltage threshold.

    • Pengfei Yan
    • , Jianming Zheng
    •  & Chong-Min Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Rechargeable magnesium batteries suffer from slow solid-state Mg2+diffusion in the intercalation cathode. Here the authors show magnesium/iodine chemistry in which the liquid–solid two-phase reaction leads to increased rate capabilities by overcoming the sluggish kinetics.

    • Huajun Tian
    • , Tao Gao
    •  & Chunsheng Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Lithium-based batteries employing silicon anodes and sulfur cathodes are promising for combining low cost and high capacity, but have been limited in terms of cycling stability. Here authors present cycling and characterization data supporting beneficial synergies between a selenium disulfide cathode and a silicon anode.

    • KwangSup Eom
    • , Jung Tae Lee
    •  & Thomas F. Fuller

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Carbon nanotube yarns with high loadings of pseudocapacitive material are desirable, e.g., for emerging wearable technologies. Here authors make biscrolled yarns with high loadings of MnO2nanoparticles confined in carbon nanotube galleries, demonstrating very high linear and areal capacitances.

    • Changsoon Choi
    • , Kang Min Kim
    •  & Seon Jeong Kim

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Hyperaccumulation can allow facile enrichment of metal ions in halophytic plants. Here, the authors use the effect to convert plant structures into hierarchical carbon/metal-oxide nanocomposites and demonstrate the structures as battery electrodes combining high power density and excellent cycling stability.

    • Jian Zhu
    • , Yu Shan
    •  & Xiangfeng Duan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Rechargeable aqueous electrochemical energy storage is a promising technology but suffers from a narrow potential window. Here the authors report a surface hydroxylated Mn5O8pseudocapacitor electrode with bivalence structure that expands the potential window to deliver high energy and power performance.

    • Xiaoqiang Shan
    • , Daniel S. Charles
    •  & Xiaowei Teng

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Flexible materials for harvesting and storing energy are desirable for wearable electronics, but efficiency is still an issue. Here, the authors demonstrate a flexible and weavable ribbon which integrates a solar cell and supercapacitor via a shared electrode for efficient energy harvesting and storage.

    • Chao Li
    • , Md. Monirul Islam
    •  & Jayan Thomas

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Harvesting bio-mechanical energy is a promising route to powering wearable electronics, however design obstacles remain. Here the authors report on a triboelectric nanogenerator with optimized materials and design that can sustainably power an electronic watch and fitness tracker solely by human motion.

    • Jie Wang
    • , Shengming Li
    •  & Zhong Lin Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Tomographic imaging of graphite-based anodes is challenging due to weak X-ray attenuation contrast. Here, the authors use operando propagation-based phase contrast tomography and digital volume correlation to study the electrochemical activity and microstructural dynamics in (silicon−) graphite electrodes.

    • Patrick Pietsch
    • , Daniel Westhoff
    •  & Vanessa Wood

  • Review Article
    | Open Access

    With the continued miniaturization of electronics, there are increasing efforts to engineer small, powerful energy storage devices. Here the authors review the cutting edge of this rapidly developing field, highlighting the most promising materials and architectures for our future energy storage requirements.

    • Maria R. Lukatskaya
    • , Bruce Dunn
    •  & Yury Gogotsi

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