In this work, both advantages of sodium-ion batteries and dual-ion batteries have been combined in an innovated sodium-ion-based dual-ion battery (SDI) system using a Na metal film as anode and a freestanding meso-carbon microbead film (FS-MCMB) as cathode. FS-MCMB in SDI battery exhibited a superior working performance with the specific capacity of 83.6 mAh/g and a remarkable long-term stability over 300 cycles. The SDI battery with FS-MCMB exhibited an advantage of high mass density loading in the range of 2−7.5 mg cm −2 , which was equal to a comparable capacity of 78−83 mAh/g. The electrochemical impedance analysis indicated that FS-MCMB provided a superior permeability, resulting in facilitating electrolyte infiltration into MCMB structure. In-situ XRD and ex-situ Raman spectroscopy were utilized to characterize the intercalating/deintercalating process of PF 6 − anions into/out of MCMB during charging/discharging processes. Finally, theoretical calculations further confirmed the structural arrangement of PF 6 − anions in the graphite layers.

A battery with high energy density, large capacity, long cyclability, safety, and flexibility is desired to not only power small electronic devices but also provide solutions to large-scale energy storage management. In this work, a hybrid battery of Zn–Ag and Zn–air (Zn–Ag/air) has been successfully fabricated in which Ag acted as an active material at the charging state and as an oxygen reduction reaction catalyst at the discharging state. In traditional zinc air batteries, Ag was used as a catalytic material only. In this work, sufficient amounts of Ag nanoparticles were covered onto stainless steel wire screen via a facile electrodeposition procedure as not only catalytic materials but also active redox materials. The rigid hybrid battery delivered two discharging plateaus at 1.5 and 1.1 V in which the higher one was attributed to reduction of Ag2O to Ag and the lower one resulted from Ag-assisted oxygen reduction reaction. The cyclability test showed that the Coulombic efficiency retained higher than 85% after 1700 cycles. Furthermore, the Zn–Ag/air hybrid battery was also able to be packed in a pouch cell and demonstrated high flexibility and rechargeable capability. Overall results indicate that the hybrid battery possesses both advantages of Zn–Ag and Zn–air batteries with improved discharging potential and enhanced storage capacity.

Intensive energy demand urges state-of-the-art rechargeable batteries. Rechargeable aluminum-ion batteries (AIBs) are promising candidates with suitable cathode materials. Owing to high abundance of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and rich chemistry of organics (structural diversity and flexibility), small organic molecules are good choices as the electrode materials for AIB. Herein, a series of small-molecule quinone derivatives (SMQD) as cathode materials for AIB were investigated. Nonetheless, dissolution of small organic molecules into liquid electrolytes remains a fundamental challenge. To nullify the dissolution problem effectively, 1,4-benzoquinone was integrated with four bulky phthalimide groups to form 2,3,5,6-tetraphthalimido-1,4-benzoquinone (TPB) as the cathode materials and assembled to be the AI/TPB cell. As a result, the Al/TPB cell delivered capacity as high as 175 mA h/g over 250 cycles in the urea electrolyte system. Theoretical studies have also been carried out to reveal and understand the storage mechanism of the TPB electrode.

Recently, aluminum ion batteries (AIBs) have attracted great attention across the globe by virtue of their massive gravimetric and volumetric capacities in addition to their high abundance. Though carbon derivatives are excellent cathodes for AIBs, there is much room for further development. In this study, flexuous graphite (FG) was synthesized by a simple thermal shock treatment, and for the first time, an Al/FG battery was applied as a cathode for AIBs to reveal the real-time intercalation of AlCl 4 − into FG with high flexibility by using in-situ scanning electron microscope (SEM) measurements exclusively. Similarly, in-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) and in-situ Raman techniques have been used to understand the anomalous electrochemical behavior of FG. It was found that FG adopts a unique integrated intercalation−adsorption mechanism where it follows an intercalation mechanism potential above 1.5 V and an adsorption mechanism potential below 1.5 V. This unique integrated intercalation−adsorption mechanism allows FG to exhibit superior properties, like high capacity (≥140 mAh/g), remarkable long-term stability (over 8000 cycles), excellent rate retention (93 mAh/g at 7.5 A/ g), and extremely rapid charging and slow discharging.

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