Here, we demonstrate the successful synthesis of (1T/2H) MoS2/α-MoO3 heterostructured nanoflowers at a low temperature of 200 °C by a one-step hydrothermal method.

In the scenario of renewable clean energy gradually replacing fossil energy, grid‐scale energy storage systems are urgently necessary, where Na‐ion batteries (SIBs) could supply crucial support, due to abundant Na raw materials and a similar electrochemical mechanism to Li‐ion batteries. The limited energy density is one of the major challenges hindering the commercialization of SIBs. Alloy‐type anodes with high theoretical capacities provide good opportunities to address this issue. However, these anodes suffer from the large volume expansion and inferior conductivity, which induce rapid capacity fading, poor rate properties, and safety issues. Carbon‐based alloy‐type composites (CAC) have been extensively applied in the effective construction of anodes that improved electrochemical performance, as the carbon component could alleviate the volume change and increase the conductivity. Here, state‐of‐the‐art CAC anode materials applied in SIBs are summarized, including their design principle, characterization, and electrochemical performance. The corresponding alloying mechanism along with its advantages and disadvantages is briefly presented. The crucial roles and working mechanism of the carbon matrix in CAC anodes are discussed in depth. Lastly, the existing challenges and the perspectives are proposed. Such an understanding critically paves the way for tailoring and designing suitable alloy‐type anodes toward practical applications.

This study describes the synthesis of nitrogen-containing carbon (N-C) and an approach to apply the N-C material as a surface encapsulant of LiMn2O4 (LMO) cathode material. The N heteroatoms in the N-C material improve the electrochemical performance of LMO. A low-cost wet coating method was used to prepare N-C@LMO particles. The N-C@LMO was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), high-resolution Raman spectroscopy (HR-Raman), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and field emission scanning transmission electron microscopy (FE-TEM) with elemental mapping. Furthermore, the prepared samples were electrochemically studied using the AC electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and the electrochemical cycler. XPS suggested that the N-C coating greatly reduced the dissolution of Mn and EIS showed that the coating greatly suppressed the charge transfer resistance, even after long-term cycling. The control of Mn dissolution and inner resistance allowed faster Li-ion transport between the two electrodes resulting in improved discharge capacity and cycling stability.

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The corrosion behavior of the Zn anode is yet another major issue to be taken under consideration in the Zn-air system. In order to enhance electrochemical performance, a new aim is to find a possible delay in corrosion rates using 1 and 3 wt % of Bi or Ni as additives when compared with pure Zn anodes as gel type electrodes. Through Tafel extrapolation, the pure and 3 wt % Bi added Zn anodes show a 1.2718 mA and 0.8490 mA average corrosion current, respectively. Furthermore, the Zn anode with 3 wt % Bi shows increased 1328.9 Ω charge transfer resistance and lowered hydrogen evolution, meaning Bi is an effective additive for controlling the hydrogen evolution reaction as well as corrosion reaction in gel type electrodes.

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