The cutting-edge photovoltaic cells are an indispensable part of the ongoing progress of earth-friendly plans for daily life energy consumption. However, the continuous electrical demand that extends to the nighttime requires a prior deployment of efficient real-time storage systems. In this regard, metal-air batteries have presented themselves as the most suitable candidates for solar energy storage, combining extra lightweight with higher power outputs and promises of longer life cycles. Scientific research over non-precious functional catalysts has always been the milestone and still contributing significantly to exploring new advanced materials and moderating the cost of both complementary technologies. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-derived functional materials have found their way to the application as storage and conversion materials, owing to their structural variety, porous advantages, as well as the tunability and high reactivity. In this review, we provide a detailed overview of the latest progress of MOF-based materials operating in metal-air batteries and photovoltaic cells.
Using three‐dimensional current collectors (3DCC) as frameworks for lithium metal anodes (LMAs) is a promising approach to inhibit dendrite growth. However, the intrinsically accumulated current density on the top surface and limited Li‐ion transfer in the interior of 3DCC still lead to the formation of lithium dendrites, which can pose safety risks. In this study, it reports that gradient lithiophilic structures can induce uniform lithium deposition within the interior of the 3DCC, greatly suppressing dendrite formation, as confirmed by COMSOL simulations and experimental results. With this concept, a gradient‐structured zinc oxide‐loaded copper foam (GSZO‐CF) is synthesized via an easy solution‐combustion method at low cost. The resulting Li@GSZO‐CF symmetric cells demonstrate stable cycling performance for over 800 cycles, with an ultra‐deep capacity of 10 mAh cm−2 even under an ultra‐high current density of 50 mA cm−2, the top results reported in the literature. Moreover, when combined with a LiFePO4 (LFP) cathode under a low negative/positive (N/P) capacity ratio of 2.9, the Li@GSZO‐CF||LFP full cells exhibit stable performance for 200 cycles, with a discharge capacity of 130 mAh g−1 and retention of 85.5% at a charging/discharging rate of 1C. These findings suggest a promising strategy for the development of new‐generation LMAs.
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