A three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical porous graphene macrostructure coupled with uniformly distributed α-Fe 2 O 3 nano-particles (denoted Fe-PGM) was designed as a sulfur host in a Lithiumsulfur battery, and was prepared by a hydrothermal method. In this hybrid structure, the α-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles are proved to not only strongly interact with the polysulfides, but more importantly, chemically promote their transformation to insoluble species during the charge/discharge process, working as a chemical barrier for the shuttling of the lithium

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are reviving and flourishing during last decade, with great potential to be practically applied in large-scale energy storage markets. The rapid progress of SIBs research is primarily focused on electrode, while electrolytes as another indispensable component in SIBs attracts less attention. Indeed, the improvement of electrode performance is arguably correlated with the electrolyte optimization. In conventional lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), ether-based electrolytes are historically supposed to be less practical owing to the insufficient passivation of both anodes and cathodes. As an important class of aprotic electrolytes, ethers have revived with the emerging Li-S and Li-O 2 batteries in recent years, and are even booming in the wave of SIBs. Etherbased electrolytes are unique to enabling these new battery chemistries in terms of producing stable ternary graphite intercalation compound, modifying anode solid electrolyte interphases, reducing the solubility of intermediates, and decreasing polarization. Better still, ether-based electrolytes are compatible with specific inorganic cathodes and could catalyze the assembly of full SIBs prototypes. Furthermore, ether-based solvents are the dominating electrolytes in the research of Na-S and Na-O 2 batteries. This research news article aims to summarize the recent critical reports on ether-based electrolytes in sodium-based batteries, to unveil the uniqueness of ether-based electrolytes to advancing diverse electrode materials, and to shed light on the viability and challenges of etherbased electrolytes in future sodium-based new battery chemistries.

The depletion of fossil fuels and rapidly increasing environmental concerns have urgently called for the utilization of clean and sustainable sources for future energy supplies. Hydrogen (H2) is recognized as a prioritized green resource with little environmental impact to replace traditional fossil fuels. Electrochemical water splitting has become an important method for large-scale green production of hydrogen. The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is the cathodic half-reaction of water splitting that can be promoted to produce pure H2 in large quantities by active electrocatalysts. However, the unsatisfactory performance of HER electrocatalysts cannot follow the extensive requirements of industrial-scale applications, including working efficiently and stably over long periods of time at high current densities (⩾1000 mA cm–2). In this review, we study the crucial issues when electrocatalysts work at high current densities and summarize several categories of strategies for the design of high-performance HER electrocatalysts. We also discuss the future challenges and opportunities for the development of HER catalysts.

Nitrogen and sulfur co-doped porous carbon spheres (NS-PCSs) were prepared using L-cysteine to control the structure and functionalization during the hydrothermal reaction of glucose and the subsequent activation process. As the sulfur hosts in Li-S batteries, NS-PCSs combine strong physical confinement and surface chemical interaction to improve the affinity of polysulfides to the carbon matrix.