Coupling quinone cathode with ionic liquid electrolyte is demonstrated to build high-energy and long-life sodium-ion batteries. Computational and spectroscopic studies reveal that the inhibitory effect of ionic liquid on dissolution of quinone correlates with the strong polarity, weak electron donor ability, and low interaction energy. The calix[4]quinone and 5,7,12,14-pentacenetetrone cathodes exhibit significantly improved cycling performance in N-methyl-N-propylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide than in ether electrolyte. These results would enlighten the design and application of ionic liquid and quinones for organic batteries.
HIGHLIGHTSA facile strategy is proposed to suppress the dissolution of quinone electrodes Inhibitory effect of ILs correlates to polarity, donor number, and binding energy [PY13][TFSI] markedly inhibits quinone dissolution C4Q and PT cathodes exhibit better capacity retention in ILs than in ether Wang et al., Chem 5, 364-375 February 14,
SUMMARYQuinone-based sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are highly desirable electrochemical devices with high capacity and low cost but suffer from poor cycle life and low practical energy because of quinone dissolution in aprotic electrolyte. Herein, we report a facile strategy of using ionic liquid (IL) to tackle the dissolution of quinone electrodes. The inhibitory effect of ILs on quinone dissolution correlates with their polarity, donor number, and interaction energy, as revealed by combined density functional theory and spectroscopy studies. Particularly, in N-methyl-N-propylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide ([PY13] [TFSI]) electrolyte with weak donor ability and large polarity, calix[4]quinone cathode exhibits high capacity (>400 mAh g À1 ) and superior capacity retention ($99.7% at 130 mA g À1 for 300 cycles), significantly outperforming that in etherbased electrolyte. Moreover, the remarkable cyclability and considerable rate capability of 5,7,12,14-pentacenetetrone in [PY13][TFSI] render it a promising sodium-storage material. This work would promote the development of highperformance SIBs with quinone electrodes and IL electrolyte.
Solid‐state sodium batteries (SSNBs) have attracted extensive interest due to their high safety on the cell level, abundant material resources, and low cost. One of the major challenges in the development of SSNBs is the suppression of sodium dendrites during electrochemical cycling. The solid electrolyte Na3.4Zr2Si2.4P0.6O12 (NZSP) exhibits one of the best dendrite tolerances of all reported solid electrolytes (SEs), while it also shows interesting dendrite growth along the surface of NZSP rather than through the ceramic. Operando investigations and in situ scanning electron microscopy microelectrode experiments are conducted to reveal the Na plating mechanism. By blocking the surface from atmosphere access with a sodium‐salt coating, surface‐dendrite formation is prevented. The dendrite tolerance of Na | NZSP | Na symmetric cells is then increased to a critical current density (CCD) of 14 mA cm−2 and galvanostatic cycling of 1 mA cm−2 and 1 mAh cm−2 (half cycle) is demonstrated for more than 1000 h. Even if the current density is increased to 3 mA cm−2 or 5 mA cm−2, symmetric cells can still be operated for 180 h or 12 h, respectively.
Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) with the characteristics of low production costs and good safety have been regarded as ideal candidates for large-scale energy storage applications. However, the nonconductive and non-redox active polymer used as the binder in the traditional preparation of electrodes hinders the exposure of active sites and limits the diffusion of ions, compromising the energy density of the electrode in ZIBs. Herein, we fabricated vanadium pentoxide nanofibers/carbon nanotubes (V2O5/CNTs) hybrid films as binder-free cathodes for ZIBs. High ionic conductivity and electronic conductivity were enabled in the V2O5/CNTs film due to the porous structure of the film and the introduction of carbon nanotubes with high electronic conductivity. As a result, the batteries based on the V2O5/CNTs film exhibited a higher capacity of 390 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1, as compared to batteries based on V2O5 (263 mAh g−1). Even at 5 A g−1, the battery based on the V2O5/CNTs film maintained a capacity of 250 mAh g−1 after 2000 cycles with a capacity retention of 94%. In addition, the V2O5/CNTs film electrode also showed a high energy/power density (e.g., 67 kW kg−1/267 Wh kg−1). The capacitance response and rapid diffusion coefficient of Zn2+ (~10−8 cm−2 s−1) can explain the excellent rate capability of V2O5/CNTs. The vanadium pentoxide nanofibers/carbon nanotubes hybrid film as binder-free cathodes showed a high capability and a stable cyclability, demonstrating that it is highly promising for large-scale energy storage applications.
Sodium (Na) metal is considered as the promising anode for next‐generation high‐energy‐density Na‐metal batteries owing to its highest specific capacity and lowest electrochemical potential among all Na‐based anode candidates. However, the Na metal anode suffers from considerable volume change, nonuniform Na deposition, and an unstable electrode–electrolyte interface, which result in rapid capacity fade and poor cycling stability, hampering its practical application. To tackle aforementioned issues, many strategies have been developed to accommodate and guide Na nucleation/growth as well as stabilize the interface, including structure stabilization by applying 3D host materials, electrolyte modification and interface engineering to form stable interfaces and guide the Na deposition, etc. The present review is intended as a guideline through the fundamental challenges affecting the performance of Na metal anodes along with corresponding mitigation strategies. Moreover, the specific mechanisms for stabilizing Na metal anodes are discussed in detail. Apart from the stabilization of the Na metal anode in contact with liquid electrolytes, attention has also been paid to the review of stabilization of the Na metal anode in contact with solid‐state electrolytes. Furthermore, unresolved challenges and promising perspectives for stable Na metal anodes in practical applications are presented.
Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are deemed as the idea option for large-scale energy storage systems owing to many alluring merits including low manufacture cost, environmental friendliness, and high operations safety. However, to develop high-performance cathode is still significant for practical application of ZIBs. Herein, Ba 0.23 V 2 O 5 •1.1H 2 O (BaVO) nanobelts were fabricated as cathode materials of ZIBs by a typical hydrothermal synthesis method. Benefiting from the increased interlayer distance of 1.31 nm by Ba 2+ and H 2 O pre-intercalated, the obtained BaVO nanobelts showed an excellent initial discharge capacity of 378 mAh•g −1 at 0.1 A•g −1 , a great rate performance (e.g., 172 mAh•g −1 at 5 A•g −1 ), and a superior capacity retention (93% after 2000 cycles at 5 A•g −1 ).
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