With the low redox potential of −3.04 V (vs SHE) and ultrahigh theoretical capacity of 3862 mAh g −1 , lithium metal has been considered as promising anode material. However, lithium metal battery has ever suffered a trough in the past few decades due to its safety issues. Over the years, the limited energy density of the lithium-ion battery cannot meet the growing demands of the advanced energy storage devices. Therefore, lithium metal anodes receive renewed attention, which have the potential to achieve high-energy batteries. In this review, the history of the lithium anode is reviewed first. Then the failure mechanism of the lithium anode is analyzed, including dendrite, dead lithium, corrosion, and volume expansion of the lithium anode. Further, the strategies to alleviate the lithium anode issues in recent years are discussed emphatically. Eventually, remaining challenges of these strategies and possible research directions of lithium-anode modification are presented to inspire innovation of lithium anode.
Rechargeable zinc‐air batteries (ZABs) have attracted much attention as the next‐generation energy conversion and storage devices due to the abundance and environmental friendliness of zinc (Zn) for anode materials, as well as the safety and low cost of aqueous electrolytes. However, rational design of nonprecious and low‐cost integrated air cathode materials with a desirable bifunctional oxygen electrocatalytic performance remains a great challenge for the commercialization of rechargeable ZABs. In previous research studies, various cost‐effective carbon‐supported electrocatalysts and light‐weight carbon‐based current collectors for air cathodes have been developed, showing vast potential in the application of carbon‐based materials. To improve the bifunctional performance and integration of air cathodes, efforts with respect to the design of morphology, defects, and synergistic effects of carbon‐based materials have been made. In this perspective, the general understanding of the air cathode construction and the battery working mechanism is discussed. The recent progress in the design of carbon‐based materials for air cathodes in rechargeable ZABs is summarized. Several possible future research directions and the expected development trends are also discussed, aiming to facilitate the commercialization of advanced rechargeable ZABs in our life.
It is very significant that functional porous metal–organic frameworks are used to manufacture hierarchical components to achieve cascading functions that cannot be achieved by a single-layer metal–organic framework (MOF). Here, we report two cases of novel MOFs constructed by the same ligand, Cu(I)-tpt and Cu(II)-tpt (Htpt = 5-[4(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)]phenyl-2H-tetrazole), and prepared a Cu(II)-tpt-on-Cu(I)-tpt membrane by a layer-by-layer approach ignoring the lattice mismatch problem. The first Cu(I)-tpt layer is grown on an oriented Cu2O nanostructured array by a “one-pot” approach. The aligned second Cu(II)-tpt layer can be deposited using liquid-phase epitaxy. Notably, the prepared Cu(II)-tpt-on-Cu(I)-tpt membrane combines adsorption and fluorescence sensing, which exhibited significant adsorption for Cr2O7 2– (203.25 mg g–1) as typical highly poisonous ions with a fluorescence quenching response. Hence, based on the oxidation–reduction between Cr2O7 2– and p-arsanilic acid (p-ASA), the Cu(II)-tpt-on-Cu(I)-tpt membrane’s ability to adsorb Cr2O7 2– could be used to design “on-off-on” mode fluorescence probes to detect p-ASA with high sensitivity (limit of detection (LOD) = 0.0556 μg L–1). p-ASA can be degraded into highly toxic inorganic arsenic compounds in the natural environment and has received widespread attention. Therefore, the integration of adsorption and fluorescence properties makes the Cu(II)-tpt-on-Cu(I)-tpt membrane a feasible multifunctional material for pollution control and detection.
The development of efficient and low-cost flexible metal electrodes is significant for flexible rechargeable zinc−air batteries (ZABs). Herein, we reported a new type of flexible metal (zinc and nickel) electrode fabricated via a two-step deposition method on polyurethane sponges (PUS) for flexible ZABs. Compared to conventional electrodes, the metal-coated PUS electrodes exhibited great flexibility, softness, and natural mechanical resilience. In addition, a flexible sandwich-structured ZAB was assembled with the metal-coated PUS electrodes and in situ cross-linked polyacrylic acid (PAA)−KOH hydrogel electrolyte. The flexible ZAB presented stable discharge/charge performance even under complex rolling and twisting deformations. Moreover, inspired by the kirigami-strategy for device-level stretchability, a 100% stretchable fence-shaped ZAB and a 160% stretchable serpentine-shaped ZAB were cut from the abovementioned flexible ZABs. The kirigami-inspired configuration enabled the battery performance to be stable during stretching, benefiting from the softness of the PUS@metal electrode. These flexible and stretchable ZABs would broaden the promising applications for portable and wearable energy storage devices.
With the remarkably large theoretical specific capacity of silicon (Si), Si‐based rechargeable lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) have attracted great interest, as they are expected to meet the growing demand for large‐scale energy storage devices, electric vehicles, and portable electronic devices with high energy density. However, the Si‐based LIB faces great challenges due to the cyclic volume changes induced by Si, which lead to considerable capacity fading. To facilitate the use of high‐performance LIBs enabled by Si‐based anodes, understanding the fading mechanism is necessary. In this regard, various advanced characterization methods have been developed to reveal the fading mechanism and to develop a modification strategy associated with compositional and structural evolution. In this review, the general understanding of the fading mechanism and the technical specifications of Si‐based LIBs are discussed. The recent progress in advanced characterization methods for Si‐based LIBs is summarized with respect to the achievements in compositional and structural interpretation. Several possible future research directions for Si‐based LIBs and the expected development trends in relevant characterization methods are also discussed.
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