Hollow multishell structures exercise temporal–spatial ordering and dynamic smart behaviour

Wang, Jiangyan; Wan, Jiawei; Yang, Nailiang; Li, Quan; Wang, Dan

doi:10.1038/s41570-020-0161-8

Cited by 167 publications

(124 citation statements)

References 93 publications

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“…[ 13 ] Finally, to address the issue of volumetric variations during charge/discharge cycles, a variety of nanoarchitectures that contain voids or empty space such as mesoporous spheres, hollow structures, yolk–shell particles and multishells have been developed as nanoreactors. [ 23–30 ] However, such designs require complicated synthetic steps and the use of sacrificial templates to endow an empty space within those materials. On accounts of those inadequacies, it becomes obvious that ideal sulfur host materials should possess: 1) high electrical conductivity, 2) low density that provides both physical and chemical confinement to LiPs, 3) dispersed catalysts that can strongly adsorb and electrocatalytically reduce LiPs, and 4) hierarchical pores such as micropores, mesopores and large voids/cavities to accommodate a high sulfur loading, buffer the volume change during charge/discharge cycles as well as improve the mass transfer of electrolyte to/from active sites, are greatly desired.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular‐Level Design of Pyrrhotite Electrocatalyst Decorated Hierarchical Porous Carbon Spheres as Nanoreactors for Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Boyjoo

Shi

Olsson

et al. 2020

Advanced Energy Materials

116

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of 2600 Wh kg −1 and are recognized as one of high energy density storage devices for practical applications. In LSBs the cathode material is mainly sulfur, which is abundantly available, low cost, environmentally friendly and has high theoretical capacity of 1675 mAh g −1 . [1][2][3][4][5][6] However, the challenging issues associated with sulfur-based cathodes are: 1) the low electrical conductivity of sulfur, 2) the dissolution and shuttling effects of lithium polysulfides (LiPs), and 3) large volume variations during charge/discharge cycles. These bring about low efficiency, poor cycling stability, self-discharge phenomena, and ultimately degradation of the electrode material, all of which currently limit the potential commercialization of LSBs. These drawbacks, especially the difficulty to confine LiPs are the current research priorities in the field of LSBs. [1,7,8] To overcome these problems, a vast amount of research has been carried out in the last decade. The encapsulation of sulfur in a conductive carbon host can effectively improve the electrical conductivity of sulfur. Moreover, carbon offers a physical barrier that encapsulates the LiP intermediates. [9][10][11][12] Nevertheless, such weak physical confinement is not enough to suppress the eventual diffusion of LiPs over time. [13] Due to the polar nature of LiPs, the strategies involving functional polar substrates as Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are a class of new-generation rechargeable high-energy-density batteries. However, the persisting issue of lithium polysulfides (LiPs) dissolution and the shuttling effect that impedes the efficiency of LSBs are challenging to resolve. Herein a general synthesis of highly dispersed pyrrhotite Fe 1−x S nanoparticles embedded in hierarchically porous nitrogen-doped carbon spheres (Fe 1−x S-NC) is proposed.Fe 1−x S-NC has a high specific surface area (627 m 2 g −1 ), large pore volume (0.41 cm 3 g −1 ), and enhanced adsorption and electrocatalytic transition toward LiPs. Furthermore, in situ generated large mesoporous pores within carbon spheres can accommodate high sulfur loading of up to 75%, and sustain volume variations during charge/discharge cycles as well as improve ionic/mass transfer. The exceptional adsorption properties of Fe 1−x S-NC for LiPs are predicted theoretically and confirmed experimentally. Subsequently, the electrocatalytic activity of Fe 1−x S-NC is thoroughly verified. The results confirm Fe 1−x S-NC is a highly efficient nanoreactor for sulfur loading. Consequently, the Fe 1−x S-NC nano reactor performs extremely well as a cathodic material for LSBs, exhibiting a high initial capacity of 1070 mAh g −1 with nearly no capacity loss after 200 cycles at 0.5 C. Furthermore, the resulting LSBs display remarkably enhanced rate capability and cyclability even at a high sulfur loading of 8.14 mg cm −2 .

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Molecular‐Level Design of Pyrrhotite Electrocatalyst Decorated Hierarchical Porous Carbon Spheres as Nanoreactors for Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Boyjoo

Shi

Olsson

et al. 2020

Advanced Energy Materials

116

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“…[79] Recent studies have revealed that multi-shelled hollow structures exhibit a much higher volumetric energy density and better durability than conventional simple hollow structures, owing to the optimized utilization of the inner voids, the increased number of electrochemical reaction sites, and the increased structural integrity of the active material. [80][81][82][83][84][85] Therefore, fabricating an Sb-based multi-shelled hollow structure with both TiO 2 and carbon protective shells can be highly anticipated to enhance electrochemical performance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rational Design of Sb@C@TiO₂ Triple‐Shell Nanoboxes for High‐Performance Sodium‐Ion Batteries

Kong

Liu

Zhou

et al. 2020

Small

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Antimony is an attractive anode material for sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) owing to its high theoretical capacity and appropriate sodiation potential. However, its practical application is severely impeded by its poor cycling stability caused by dramatic volumetric variations during sodium uptake and release processes. Here, to circumvent this obstacle, Sb@C@TiO2 triple‐shell nanoboxes (TSNBs) are synthesized through a template‐engaged galvanic replacement approach. The TSNB structure consists of an inner Sb hollow nanobox protected by a conductive carbon middle shell and a TiO2‐nanosheet‐constructed outer shell. This structure offers dual protection to the inner Sb and enough room to accommodate volume expansion, thus promoting the structural integrity of the electrode and the formation of a stable solid–electrolyte interface film. Benefiting from the rational structural design and synergistic effects of Sb, carbon, and TiO2, the Sb@C@TiO2 electrode exhibits superior rate performance (212 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1) and outstanding long‐term cycling stability (193 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 after 4000 cycles). Moreover, a full cell assembled with a configuration of Sb@C@TiO2//Na3(VOPO4)2F displays a high output voltage of 2.8 V and a high energy density of 179 Wh kg−1, revealing the great promise of Sb@C@TiO2 TSNBs as the electrode in SIBs.

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“…5 Another interesting model is the Chinese puzzle ball, which prompted the design and realization of a highly porous micronanomaterial, namely hollow multishelled structures (HoMSs). 6 The puzzle ball is a famous Chinese sculpture that first appeared during the Song Dynasty (AD 960-1279) in the form of a three-shelled ivory ball; the system consists of multiple spheres nested inside each other, such that the inner ones are free-floating. The artifact was further developed during the Qing Dynasty (AD 1637-1912), reaching up to 60 shells-each featuring engravings on its surface; its manufacturing techniques remain mysterious to date.…”

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confidence: 99%

Nature and Chinese Art Inspire Materials for Light Harvesting

Benetti

Liang

Rosei

2020

Matter

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The Holy Grail of materials science and engineering is to understand and control structure-property relationships in materials systems, so as to attain the long-standing goal of materials by design. In this Preview, we describe recently synthesized hollow multi-shelled structures (HoMSs), a porous nanomaterial whose complex architecture was inspired both by nature and by the puzzle ball-an ancient Chinese artifact. Thanks to the precise control of structure and composition, HoMSs allow to sequentially harvest sunlight, leading to improved photocatalytic activity for hydrogen production from water.

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Hollow multishell structures exercise temporal–spatial ordering and dynamic smart behaviour

Cited by 167 publications

References 93 publications

Molecular‐Level Design of Pyrrhotite Electrocatalyst Decorated Hierarchical Porous Carbon Spheres as Nanoreactors for Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Molecular‐Level Design of Pyrrhotite Electrocatalyst Decorated Hierarchical Porous Carbon Spheres as Nanoreactors for Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Rational Design of Sb@C@TiO₂ Triple‐Shell Nanoboxes for High‐Performance Sodium‐Ion Batteries

Nature and Chinese Art Inspire Materials for Light Harvesting

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Hollow multishell structures exercise temporal–spatial ordering and dynamic smart behaviour

Cited by 167 publications

References 93 publications

Molecular‐Level Design of Pyrrhotite Electrocatalyst Decorated Hierarchical Porous Carbon Spheres as Nanoreactors for Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Molecular‐Level Design of Pyrrhotite Electrocatalyst Decorated Hierarchical Porous Carbon Spheres as Nanoreactors for Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Rational Design of Sb@C@TiO2 Triple‐Shell Nanoboxes for High‐Performance Sodium‐Ion Batteries

Nature and Chinese Art Inspire Materials for Light Harvesting

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Rational Design of Sb@C@TiO₂ Triple‐Shell Nanoboxes for High‐Performance Sodium‐Ion Batteries