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Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are considered promising energy-storage systems because of their high theoretical energy density, low cost, and eco-friendliness. However, problems such as the shuttle effect can result in the loss of active materials, poor cyclability, and rapid capacity degradation. The utilization of a structural configuration that enhances electrochemical performance via dual adsorption-catalysis strategies can overcome the limitations of Li-S batteries. In this study, an integrated interlayer structure, in which hollow carbon fibers (HCFs) were modified with in-situ-generated Ni nanoparticles, was prepared by scalable one-step carbonization. Highly hierarchically porous HCFs act as the carbon skeleton and provide a continuous three-dimensional conductive network that enhances ion/electron diffusion. Ni nanoparticles with superior anchoring and catalytic abilities can prevent the shuttle effect and increase the conversion rate, thereby promoting the electrochemical performance. This synergistic effect resulted in a high capacity retention of 582 mAh g -1 at 1 C after 100 cycles, providing an excellent rate capability of up to 3 C. The novel structure, wherein Ni nanoparticles are embedded in cotton-tissue-derived HCFs, provides a new avenue for enhancing electrochemical performance at high C rates. This results in a low-cost, sustainable, and high-performance hybrid material for the development of practical Li-S batteries., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Employing copper (Cu) as an anode current collector for metal sulphides is perceived as a general strategy to achieve stable cycle performance in sodium-ion batteries, despite the compatibility of the aluminium current collector with sodium at low voltages. The capacity retention is attributed to the formation of copper sulphide with the slow corrosion of the current collector during cycling which is not ideal. Conventional reports on metal sulphides demonstrate excellent electrochemical performances using excessive carbon coatings/additives, reducing the overall energy density of the cells and making it difficult to understand the underlying side reaction with Cu. In this report, the negative influence of the Cu current collector is demonstrated with in-house synthesised, scalable NiS 2 nanoparticles without any carbon coating as opposed to previous works on NiS 2 anodes. Ex situ TEM and XPS experiments revealed the formation of Cu 2 S, further to which various current collectors were employed for NiS 2 anode to rule out the parasitic reaction and to understand the true performance of the material. Overall, this study proposes the utilisation of carbon-coated aluminium foil (C/Al) as a suitable current collector for high active material content NiS 2 anodes and metal sulphides in general with minimal carbon contents as it remains completely inert during the cycling process. Using a C/Al current collector, the NiS 2 anode exhibits stable cycling performance for 5000 cycles at 50 A g -1 , maintaining a capacity of 238 mA h g -1 with a capacity decay rate of 8.47 × 10 -3 % per cycle., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Li-S batteries have received significant attention owing to their high energy density, nontoxicity, low cost, and eco-friendliness. However, the dissolution of lithium polysulfide during the charge/discharge process and its extremely low electron conductivity hinder practical applications of Li-S batteries. Herein, we report a sulfur-infiltrated carbon cathode material with a spherical morphology and conductive polymer coating. The material was produced via a facile polymerization process that forms a robust nanostructured layer and physically prevents the dissolution of lithium polysulfide. The thin double layer composed of carbon and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) provides sufficient space for sulfur storage and effectively prevents the elution of polysulfide during continuous cycling, thereby playing an essential role in increasing the sulfur utilization rate and significantly improving the electrochemical performance of the battery. Sulfur-infiltrated hollow carbon spheres with a conductive polymer layer demonstrate a stable cycle life and reduced internal resistance. The as-fabricated battery demonstrated an excellent capacity of 970 mA h g -1 at 0.5 C and a stable cycle performance, exhibiting ∼78% of the initial discharge capacity after 50 cycles. This study provides a promising approach to significantly improve the electrochemical performance of Li-S batteries and render them as valuable and safe energy devices for large-scale energy storage systems., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

In this work, electrospun PBI separators with a highly porous structure and nanofiber diameter of about 90-150 nm are prepared using a multi-nozzle under controlled conditions for lithium metal batteries. Cross-linking with α, α-dibromo-p-xylene and surface treatment using 4-(chloromethyl) benzoic acid successfully improve the electrochemical as well as mechanical properties of the separators. The resulting separator is endowed with high thermal stability and excellent wettability (1080 to 1150%) with commercial liquid electrolyte than PE and PP (Celgard 2400) separators. Besides, attractive cycling stability and rate capability in LiFePO 4 /Li cells are attained with the modified separators. Prominently, CROSSLINK PBI exhibits a stable Coulombic efficiency of more than 99% over 100 charge-discharge cycles at 0.5 C, which is superior to the value of cells using commercial PE and PP (Celgard 2400) separators. The half cells assembled using the CROSSLINK PBI separator can deliver a discharge capacity of 150.3 mAh g -1 at 0.2 C after 50 cycles corresponding to 88.4% of the theoretical value of LiFePO 4 (170 mAh g -1 ). This work offers a worthwhile method to produce thermally stable separators with noteworthy electrochemical performances which opens new possibilities to improve the safe operation of batteries., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

The influence of electrolyte additives on the electrochemical and interfacial properties of SiO x -based anodes for lithium-sulfur batteries (Li-S) was systematically investigated. Four different electrolyte additives, namely, lithium nitrate, vinylene carbonate (VC), vinyl ethylene carbonate, and fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC), were added to the bare electrolyte comprising 1 M LiTFSI in tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether/1,3 dioxolane in a ratio of 1:1 (v/v). The self-extinguishing time (SET) of the liquid electrolytes was measured. The 2032-type half-cells composed of Li/SiO x /Si/C were assembled, and their charge -discharge studies were analyzed at the 0.1 C-rate. Upon cycling, the electrode materials were subjected to surface morphology and differential scanning calorimetry analyses. The interfacial properties of SiO x -based electrodes were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies. Among the electrolytes examined, FEC-added electrolytes offered the lowest SET and interfacial resistance values. The superior charge-discharge properties of FEC-added electrolytes were attributed to the formation of a stable solid electrolyte interface layer on the electrode surface. The surface chemistry studies revealed the formation of Li 2 CO 3 and ROCO 2 Li peaks on the electrode surface.

The ever increasing proportion of an energy consuming society and the boost in industrialization accelerated the depletion of fossil fuel based energy sources at an alarming rate. This emphasizes the necessity of sustainable energy generation and storage to meet the daily energy demands. But, these alternative renewable energy sources like solar and wind power are intermittent and highly depend on weather, place and individuals. This creates the inevitability of suitable energy storage devices like batteries and supercapacitors. The interfacing of energy storing devices is required to maintain the supply chain equilibrium, power efficiency, regulate power fluctuations and reduce pollution. Besides, the boom in electric mobility and consumer electronics also require uninterrupted power supply. Hence, in the upcoming years the energy storing devices play a vital role in addressing the energy crisis. Innovations in new materials and technologies will be the core area of research and development in the coming future. 2D materials like graphene,transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes), transition metal borides (MBenes) and so on are the new class of materials among them MXenes are getting more attention in energy storage owing to its exceptional properties., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestOn behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Materials Research Society 2022, Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are promising alternatives to lithium-based energy storage devices for large-scale applications, but conventional lithium-ion battery anode materials do not provide adequate reversible Na-ion storage. In contrast, conversion-based transition metal sulfides have high theoretical capacities and are suitable anode materials for SIBs. Iron sulfide (FeS) is environmentally benign and inexpensive but suffers from low conductivity and sluggish Na-ion diffusion kinetics. In addition, significant volume changes during the sodiation of FeS destroy the electrode structure and shorten the cycle life. Herein, we report the rational design of the FeS/carbon composite, specifically FeS encapsulated within a hierarchically ordered mesoporous carbon prepared via nanocasting using a SBA-15 template with stable cycle life. We evaluated the Na-ion storage properties and found that the parallel 2D mesoporous channels in the resultant FeS/carbon composite enhanced the conductivity, buffered the volume changes, and prevented unwanted side reactions. Further, high-rate Na-ion storage (363.4 mAh g -1 after 500 cycles at 2 A g -1 , 132.5 mAh g -1 at 20 A g -1 ) was achieved, better than that of the bare FeS electrode, indicating the benefit of structural confinement for rapid ion transfer, and demonstrating the excellent electrochemical performance of this anode material at high rates.

Transition-metal sulfides have been extensively studied as anode materials for use in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) and potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) due to their multi-electron reactions, high rate performance, and abundant available resources. However, the practical capacities of metal sulfides remain low due to conductivity issues, volume expansion, and the use of traditional carbonate electrolytes. To overcome these drawbacks, ether electrolytes can be combined with nanoparticle-based metal sulfide anodes. Herein, a nanoparticle-based nickel monosulfide (NiS) anode with high rate performance in the ether electrolytes of SIBs/PIBs was prepared by heating a mixture of nickel nanoparticles with sulfur. In SIBs, the NiS anode capacity was 286 mA h g-1 at a high current density of 100 A g-1, and excellent cycling performance was observed at 25 A g-1 with a capacity of 468 mA h g-1 after 1000 cycles. Moreover, a full-cell containing a Na3V2(PO4) cathode demonstrated a rate performance of 65 mA h g-1 at a high current density of 100 A g-1. In PIBs, the NiS electrode capacity was 642 and 37 mA h g-1 at 0.5 and 100 A g-1, respectively. Hence, the synthesised NiS nanoparticles possessed excellent storage capability, regardless of the alkali-ion type, suggesting their potential use as robust NiS anodes for advanced battery systems.

Sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) is a promising active material for Li/S batteries owing to its high sulfur utilization and long-term cyclability. However, because SPAN electrodes are synthesized using powder, they require large amounts of electrolyte, conducting agents, and binder, which reduces the practical energy density. Herein, to improve the practical energy density, we fabricated bulk-type SPAN disk cathodes from pressed sulfur and polyacrylonitrile powders using a simple heating process. The SPAN disks could be used directly as cathode materials because their π-π structures provide molecular-level electrical connectivity. In addition, the electrodes had interconnected pores, which improved the mobility of Li + ions by allowing homogeneous adsorption of the electrolyte. The specific capacity of the optimal electrode was very high (517 mA h g electrode -1 ). Furthermore, considering the weights of the anode, separator, cathode, and electrolyte, the Li/S cell exhibited a high practical energy density of 250 W h kg -1 . The areal capacity was also high (8.5 mA h cm -2 ) owing to the high SPAN loading of 16.37 mg cm -2 . After the introduction of 10 wt% multi-walled carbon nanotubes as a conducting agent, the SPAN disk electrode exhibited excellent cyclability while maintaining a high energy density. This strategy offers a potential candidate for Li/S batteries with high practical energy densities., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Iron sulfide (FeS) anodes are plagued by severe irreversibility and volume changes that limit cycle performances. Here, a synergistically coupled hybrid composite, nanoengineered iron sulfide/S-doped graphene aerogel, was developed as high-capacity anode material for Li/Na-ion half/full batteries. The rational coupling of in situ generated FeS nanocrystals and the S-doped rGO aerogel matrix boosted the electronic conductivity, Li + /Na + diffusion kinetics, and accommodated the volume changes in FeS. This anode system exhibited excellent long-term cyclability retaining high reversible capacities of 422 (1100 cycles) and 382 mAh g -1 (1600 cycles), respectively, for Li + and Na + storage at 5 A g -1 . Full batteries designed with this anode system exhibited 435 (FeS/srGOA||LiCoO 2 ) and 455 mAh g -1 (FeS/srGOA||Na 0.64 Co 0.1 Mn 0.9 O 2 ). The proposed low-cost anode system is competent with the current Li-ion battery technology and extends its utility for Na + storage., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Owing to the speculated price hike and scarcity of lithium resources, sodium-ion batteries are attracting significant research interest these days. However, sodium-ion battery anodes do not deliver good electrochemical performance, particularly rate performance. Herein, we report the facile electrospinning synthesis of a free-standing nickel disulfide (NiS²) embedded on carbon nanofiber. This electrode did not require a conducting agent, current collector, and binder, and typically delivered high capacity and rate performance. The electrode delivered a high initial capacity of 603 mAh g -1 at the current density of 500 mA g -1 . Moreover, the electrode delivered the capacity of 271 mAh g -1 at the high current density of 15 A g -1 . The excellent rate performance and high coulombic efficiency of the electrode were attributed to its low charge transfer resistance and unique structure.

In this paper, the relationship between the pore spatial structures, pore sizes, and pore types of highly ordered mesoporous CMK-based carbons (CMK-1, CMK-3, and CMK-5) and their electrochemical performance in Li-S batteries is investigated. CMK-1 has a complex spatial structure and small pores. The structure is good for limiting polysulfide in the pores, but not for rapid transfer of Li + ions in the cell. CMK-3 and CMK-5 have similar spatial structures and pore sizes, but different pore types. Compared to the single pore structure of CMK-3, the bimodal pore structure of CMK-5 not only improves the electrolyte accessibility, but also increases the number of reaction sites, resulting in better electrochemical performance. Studying the correlation between the physical structure of carbon-based materials and their electrochemical performance in Li-S batteries will provide new insights for optimizing porous electrode materials.

In this study, NiS/graphene nanocomposites were synthesized by simple heat treatment method of three graphene materials (graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and nitrogen-doped graphene oxide (N-rGO)) and NiS precursor. The morphology and crystal structure of NiS/graphene nanocomposites were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. Electrochemical properties were also investigated. NiS/graphene nanocomposites homogeneously wrapped by graphene materials have been successfully manufactured. Among the three nanocomposites, NiS/N-rGO nanocomposite exhibited the highest initial and retention capacity in discharge, respectively, of 1240 mAh/g and 467 mAh/g up to 100 cycles at 0.5 C.

To develop the next-generation energy storage systems, lithium-sulfur batteries represent an attractive option due to its high theoretical capacity, and energy density. In this work, MoS₂/rGO (reduced graphene oxide) was prepared by hydrothermal synthesis and sulfur added by the melt diffusion method. The as-prepared MoS₂/rGO has strong polysulfides entrapping, high conductivity, large surface area, and high catalytic activity, consequently resulting in enhanced rate performance and cycling capability of Li-S batteries. The coin cells were constructed with the MoS₂/rGO/S cathode material, exhibit a high reversible capacity of nearly 1380 mAh/g at 0.1 C, outstanding cycling stability with a low capacity fading rate. Present work reveals that the hierarchal MoS₂/rGO/S cathodes are potential candidate materials for future high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries.

In this work, the hydrothermal method was employed to produce SnO₂/rGO as anode material. Nanostructured SnO₂ was prepared to enhance reversibility and to deal with the undesirable volume changes during cycling. The SnO₂/rGO hybrid exhibits long cycle life in lithium-ion storage capacity and rate capability with an initial discharge capacity of 1327 mAh/g at 0.1 C rate. These results demonstrate that a fabricated SnO₂/rGO matrix will be a possible way to obtain high rate performance.

Transition metal oxide materials with high theoretical capacities have been studied as substitutes for commercial graphite in lithiumion batteries. Among these, SnO₂ is a promising alloying reaction-based anode material. However, the problem of rapid capacity fading in SnO₂ due to volume variation during the alloying/dealloying processes must be solved. The lithiation of SnO₂ results in the formation of a Li₂O matrix. Herein, the volume variation of SnO₂ was suppressed by controlling the voltage window to 1 V to prevent the delithiation reaction between Li₂O and Sn. Using this strategy the unreacted Li₂O matrix was enriched with metallic Sn particles, thereby providing a pathway for lithium ions. The specific capacity decay in the voltage window of 0.05-3 V was 1.8% per cycle. However, the specific capacity decay was improved to 0.04% per cycle after the voltage window was restricted (in the range of 0.05-1 V). This strategy resulted in a specific capacity of 374.7 mAh g -1 at 0.1 C after 40 cycles for the SnO₂ anode.

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are a viable substitute for lithium-ion batteries due to the low cost and wide availability of sodium. However, practical applications require the development of fast charging sodium-ion-based full-cells with high power densities. Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 (NVP) is a bipolar material with excellent characteristics as both a cathode and an anode material in SIBs. Designing symmetric cells with NVP results in a single voltage plateau with significant specific capacity which is ideal for a full cell. Here we demonstrate for the first time a tremendous improvement in the performance of NVP symmetric full cells by introducing an ether-based electrolyte which favors fast reaction kinetics. In a symmetric full cell configuration, 75.5% of the initial capacity was retained even after 4000 cycles at 2 A g -1 , revealing ultra-long cyclability. Excellent rate performances were obtained at current densities as high as 1000C, based on the cathode mass, revealing ultrafast Na + transfer. The power density obtained for this NVP symmetric cell (48 250 W kg -1 ) is the best among those of all the sodium-ion-based full cells reported to date., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Lithium-sulfur (Li/S) batteries suffer from "shuttle" reactions in which soluble polysulfide species continuously migrate to and from the Li metal anode. As a consequence, the loss of active material and reactions at the surface of Li limit the practical applications of Li/S batteries. LiNO 3 has been proposed as an electrolyte additive to reduce the shuttle reactions by aiding the formation of a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) at the Li metal, limiting polysulfide shuttling. However, LiNO 3 is continuously consumed during cycling, especially at low current rates. Therefore, the Li/S battery cycle life is limited by the LiNO 3 concentration in the electrolyte. In this work, an ionic liquid (IL) [N-methyl-(n-butyl)pyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide] was used as an additive to enable longer cycle life of Li/S batteries. By tuning the IL concentration, an enhanced stability of the SEI and lower flammability of the solutions were demonstrated, that is, higher safety of the battery. The Li/S cell built with a high sulfur mass loading (4 mg cm -2 ) and containing the IL-based electrolyte demonstrated a stable capacity of 600 mAh g -1 for more than double the number of cycles of a cell containing LiNO 3 additive., (© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

In order to satisfy the escalating energy demands, it is inevitable to improve the energy density of current Li-ion batteries. As the development of high-capacity cathode materials is of paramount significance compared to anode materials, here we have designed for the first time a unique synergistic hybrid cathode material with enhanced specific capacity, incorporating cost-effective iron sulfide (FeS) nanoparticles in a sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) nanofiber matrix through a rational in situ synthesis strategy. Previous reports on FeS cathodes are scarce and consist of an amorphous carbon matrix to accommodate the volume changes encountered during the cycling process. However, this inactive buffering matrix eventually increases the weight of the cell, reducing the overall energy density. By the rational design of this hybrid composite cathode, we ensure that the presence of covalently bonded sulfur in SPAN guarantees high sulfur utilization, while effectively buffering the volume changes in FeS. Meanwhile, FeS can compensate for the conductivity issues in the SPAN, thereby realizing a synergistically driven dual-active cathode material improving the overall energy density of the composite. Simultaneous in situ generation of FeS nanoparticles within the SPAN fiber matrix was carried out via electrospinning followed by a one-step heating procedure. The developed hybrid cathode material displays enhanced lithium-ion storage, retaining 688.6 mA h g (FeS@SPAN composite) -1 at the end of 500 cycles at 1 A g -1 even within a narrow voltage range of 1-3.0 V. A high discharge energy density > 900 W h kg (FeS@SPAN composite) -1 , much higher than the theoretical energy density of the commercial LiCoO 2 cathode, was also achieved, revealing the promising prospects of this hybrid cathode material for high energy density applications.

FeS 2 /C core-shell nanofiber webs were synthesized for the first time by a unique synthesis strategy that couples electrospinning and carbon coating of the nanofibers with sucrose. The design of the one-dimensional core-shell morphology was found to be greatly beneficial for accommodating the volume changes encountered during cycling, to induce shorter lithium ion diffusion pathways in the electrode, and to prevent sulfur dissolution during cycling. A high discharge capacity of 545 mAh g -1 was retained after 500 cycles at 1 C, exhibiting excellent stable cycling performance with 98.8 % capacity retention at the last cycle. High specific capacities of 854 mAh g -1 , 518 mAh g -1 , and 208 mAh g -1 were obtained at 0.1 C, 1 C, and 10 C rates, respectively, demonstrating the exceptional rate capability of this nanofiber web cathode., (© 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

We have designed a self-standing anode built-up from highly conductive 3D-sponged nanofibers, that is, with no current collectors, binders, or additional conductive agents. The small diameter of the fibers combined with an internal spongelike porosity results in short distances for lithium-ion diffusion and 3D pathways that facilitate the electronic conduction. Moreover, functional groups at the fiber surfaces lead to the formation of a stable solid-electrolyte interphase. We demonstrate that this anode enables the operation of Li-cells at specific currents as high as 20 A g -1 (approx. 50C) with excellent cycling stability and an energy density which is >50% higher than what is obtained with a commercial graphite anode.

A 3D sulfur cathode for a large-scale room-temperature (RT) Na/S battery with a high sulfur loading of 14.63 mg cm-2 was fabricated. The first discharge was tested in order to understand the macroscopic changes. A first discharge capacity of 865 mAh g-1 was obtained at 1/1000 C-rate along with a discharge curve with two clear plateaus at 2.29 V and 1.78 V, respectively. A visual change occurs in the 3D sulfur cathode. A thick layer of discharge products at the solid electrolyte separator face of the 3D sulfur cathode was observed and analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS).

Recently, tin oxide (SnO2) has received significant attention for use as an anode material for next generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) owing to its high theoretical capacity (782 mAh g-1), which is more than twice of that of the commercialized graphite (372 mAh g-1). Several additional advantages, such as low cost, environmental friendliness, easy fabrication and natural abundance improve its promise. Although the theoretical capacity of SnO2 is high, volume expansion during cycling causes issue with cycling stability. In this study, an ordered mesoporous SnO2 was synthesized using a hard template (SBA-15), such that its mesoporous structure can buffer SnO2 particles from cracks caused by volume expansion. It can also allow effective electrolyte infiltration to ensure better reactivity of the active material with Li+ ions. The capacity of synthesized mesoporous SnO2 improved to 218.4 mAh g-1 compared regular SnO2 nanoparticles (69.6 mAh g-1) after 50 cycles at a rate of 0.1 C. Furthermore, carbon-coated mesoporous SnO2 enhanced capacity retention upon cycling (844.6 mAh g-1 after 50 cycles at 0.1 C) by insulating and preventing the cracking of the active material during lithiation and delithiation.

Tin-based materials, due to their high theoretical capacity of 994 mAh g-1 are potential candidates which can substitute the commercialized graphite anodes (372 mAh g-1). However, practical usage of pure tin in Li-ion cells has been hampered by the tremendous volume expansion of more than 260% during the lithium insertion/extraction process, resulting in particle pulverization and electrical disconnection from the current collector. In order to overcome this shortcoming, Sn/Cu6Sn5/C composites in this work were prepared by using pulsed wire explosion in a liquid medium and subsequently in situ polymerization. For comparison, Sn/C composite without tin-copper chemical compounds are also fabricated under a similar process. The Sn/Cu6Sn5/C and Sn/C composites were used as anodes for lithium-ion batteries. The Sn/Cu6Sn5/C composite anode showed good cyclability (scalability) and was maintained up to a capacity of 430 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles at 1 C-rate. The rate capability of the Sn/Cu6Sn5/C composite anode also showed higher performance (280 mAh g-1) than that (200 mAh g-1) of Sn/C composite at the 5 C-rate.

A novel tailor-made multilayer composite polymer electrolyte, consisting of two outer layers of electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and one inner layer of poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) fibrous membrane, was prepared using continuous electrospinning. These membranes, which are made up of fibers with diameters in the nanometer range, were stacked in layers to produce interconnected pores that result in a high porosity. Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) were prepared by entrapping a liquid electrolyte (1 M LiPF6 in ethylene carbonate/dimethyl carbonate) in the membranes. The composite membranes exhibited a high electrolyte uptake of 450-510%, coupled with an improved room temperature ionic conductivity of up to 4.72 mS cm-1 and a high electrochemical stability of 4.6 V versus Li/Li+. Electrochemical investigations of a composite membrane of PAN-PVAc-PAN, with a LiFePO4 cathode synthesized in-house, showed a high initial discharge capacity of 145 mAh g-1, which corresponds to 85% utilization of the active material, and displayed stable cycle performance.

Tin monoxide (SnO) anodes are promising candidates for use in sodium-ion batteries because of their high theoretical capacities and stable cycle performance. In previous reports, electrodes with excellent performance have been prepared by using nano-sized SnO particles. However, the synthesis of nano-sized SnO particles is complex, time-consuming, and expensive. In this paper, an anode of micron-sized SnO is prepared by using commercial micron-sized SnO particles. The electrode exhibits a reversible capacity of 450 mAh g-1 in the 1st cycle at a current rate of 100 mA g-1. We used a tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (TEGDME)-based electrolyte, which is well known for its superior electrochemical performance in sodium-ion batteries. The mechanism of operation of the anode containing micron-sized SnO particles has been confirmed by a detailed study using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). During initial discharge, the SnO changed to Sn and sodium oxide, and the surface of the electrode became covered with a film. The electrode composed of micron-sized SnO is a potential candidate for use in sodium-ion batteries.

We report on a new strategy to improve the capacity, reduce the manufacturing costs and increase the sustainability of Lithium-Sulfur (LiS) batteries. It is based on a semi-liquid cathode composed of a Li 2 S 8 polysulphide catholyte and a binder-free carbon nanofiber membrane with tailored morphology. The polysulphides in the catholyte have the dual role of active material and providing Li + -conduction, i.e. no traditional Li-salt is used in this cell. The cell is able to deliver an areal capacity as high as 7 mAh cm -2 , twice than that of commercial Lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) and 2-4 times higher than that of state-of-the-art LiS cells. In addition, the battery concept has an improved sustainability from a material point of view by being mainly based on sulfur and carbon and being completely fluorine-free, no fluorinated salt or binders are used, and has potential for upscaling and competitive price. The combination of these properties makes the semi-liquid LiS cell here reported a very promising new concept for practical large-scale energy storage applications.

Enzyme immobilization is an important technique to enhance stability, storability and reusability of enzymes. In the present work, pine needles, a forest bio-waste, were used as a feedstock of cellulose to synthesize new materials as supports for immobilization of α-chymotrypsin (CT) enzyme. The extracted cellulose from pine needles was etherified with different alkyl bromides (RBr) and etherified products were further modified to dialdehyde via oxidation with NaIO4 to get the desired products, dialdehyde cellulose ethers (ROcellCHO). CT was then covalently immobilized onto as-synthesized dialdehyde cellulose ethers via Schiff-base formation, i.e., imine linkage. The synthesized products and enzyme immobilization were confirmed by different characterization techniques and the activity assay of the free and the immobilized CT was carried out using standard protocol with variation of different parameters such as temperature, pH and substrate concentration. The storage stability and reusability of the immobilized CT were also investigated. CT activity was also studied in simulated physiological conditions in the artificial gastric fluid and artificial intestinal fluid. Artificial neural network (ANN) model was employed to correlate the relationship with% relative activity and time, temperature and pH affecting enzyme activity. A good correlation of experimental data was predicted by ANN model., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The loss of active sulfur material is a challenge in the application of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. To immobilize sulfur, a nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon (PMC) was synthesized with polyaniline (PANi) as the carbon source, which was used for development of Li-S batteries. The nitrogen content and pore system of the PMCs were modulated by varying the pyrolysis temperature to impart good electrochemical properties to the Li-S cells. As a result, the optimal capacity reversibility was obtained with the PMC synthesized at 700 °C that consisted of 12.8 % nitrogen. The enhanced cycle performance of Li-S cells was also validated at high sulfur contents up to 70 % and high C-rates up to 2 C. Furthermore, such sulfur/PMC cathodes could alleviate volume expansion during the discharge process. The results suggest that our synthesized nitrogen-doped PMCs prepared by this top-down strategy are promising materials to immobilize active sulfur in Li-S batteries., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Nanofibrous membrane (NFM) with uniform morphology and large surface area was prepared from 10% solution of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) in N,N-dimethylformamide by electrospinning technique. NFM was chemically modified for use as a support for the immobilization of glucose oxidase. Chemical modification of NFM was carried out by two different methods. In the first method, the cyano groups of PAN were modified to amino groups by a two-step process, while in the second method the carboxylic groups were generated first and then further reacted with hexamethylene diamine to create a reactive spacer arm for the immobilization of enzyme. Scanning electron microscopy studies showed that the surface morphology of NFM was not changed by chemical modification and its mechanical strength was improved. The immobilized glucose oxidase (GOx) retained 54 and 60% of its original activity up to 25 cycles with the PAN NFMs modified by the first and the second method, respectively. The GOx-immobilized NFM from the second method showed promising performance with higher enzyme immobilization, activity retention, and favorable kinetic parameters.

Carbon nanofibers are an emerging smart material that are promising for use as a biosensor and a biofuel cell transducer material due to their morphological and electrochemical characteristics. In particular, graphitized carbon nanofibers possess unique structures of graphite-like edges within their high surface area that provide a large active site for enzyme attachment. For a specific application such as a biofuel cell, which requires highly stable electrical communication and electricity generation, non-covalent enzyme immobilization using bifunctional molecule is suggested as an appropriate approach because it does not change the carbon hybridization from sp2 to sp3 as covalent immobilization by acid treatment does. Graphitized carbon-nanofiber paper (GCNFp) electrode were fabricated through dispersion-filtration method in which glucose oxidase as model enzyme were immobilized by a bifunctional molecule that forms π-π stacking of the pyrene moiety with the nanofiber wall coupled by a reactive end-amine reaction. This system provides a practical enzyme-electrode hybrid that facilitates comparatively faster enzyme-electrode electrical communication than other system using similar material, as calculated from the heterogeneous electron-transfer rate constant (K(s)) which was 5.45 s(-1).

Nanofibrous polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membranes as nonwoven separators were prepared by electrospinning followed by a thermal treatment to improve their physical properties. The effect of the thermal treatment on the physical and electrochemical properties of the PAN separators was investigated. With increasing heating time, the PAN nanofiber separators became denser with decreasing size of fully interconnected pores. The tensile strength and modulus of the nanofibrous PAN separators varied with the heating temperature and heating time. The maximum tensile strength and modulus were obtained at a heating temperature and heating time of 170 degrees C and 5 h, respectively. The cell assembled with the PAN separator prepared at 170 degrees C for 5 h exhibited high capacity retention and stable cycle performance, even at higher discharge current densities.

We synthesized two nickel sulfide powders by simple method. One is nickel sulfide powder (CNS) by co-precipitation is composed of nano-sized nickel sulfides as NiS and NIS2. The other is nickel sulfide powder (HNS) by heat-treatment of CNS is composed nano-sized NIS. The electrode using CNS has a high first discharge capacity of 600 mA h g(-1) at 0.5 C and the discharge capacity after 20th cycle is 312 mA h g(-1). The electrode using HNS has a high first discharge capacity of 551 mA h g(-1) at 0.5 C and has the discharge capacity of 412 mA h g(-1) after 50th. The discharge rate capability has over 92% at 1 C versus 0.2 C. The nano-sized nickel sulfides are synthesized by simple co-precipitation method has good electrochemical properties such as high first discharge capacity, good cycle life and good rate capability for lithium secondary battery.

FAD-dependent glucose dehydrogenase (FAD-GDH) of Burkholderia cepacia was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli and subsequently purified in order to use it as an anode catalyst for enzyme fuel cells. The purified enzyme has a low Km value (high affinity) towards glucose, which is 463.8 μM, up to 2-fold exponential range lower compared to glucose oxidase. The heterogeneous electron transfer coefficient (Ks) of FAD-GDH-menadione on a glassy carbon electrode was 10.73 s(-1), which is 3-fold higher than that of GOX-menadione, 3.68 s(-1). FAD-GDH was able to maintain its native glucose affinity during immobilization in the carbon nanotube and operation of enzyme fuel cells. FAD-GDH-menadione showed 3-fold higher power density, 799.4 ± 51.44 μW cm(-2), than the GOX-menadione system, 308.03 ± 17.93 μW cm(-2), under low glucose concentration, 5 mM, which is the concentration in normal physiological fluid.

Proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack requires gaskets and seals in each cell to keep the reactant gases within their respective regions. Gasket performance is integral to the successful long-term operation of a fuel cell stack. This review focuses on properties, performance and degradation mechanisms of the different polymer gasket materials used in PEM fuel cell under normal operating conditions. The different degradation mechanisms and their corresponding representative mitigation strategies are also presented here. Summary of various properties of elastomers and their advantages and disadvantages in fuel cell'environment are presented. By considering the level of chemical degradation, mechanical properties and cost effectiveness, it can be proposed that EPDM is one of the best choices for gasket material in PEM fuel cell. Finally, the challenges that remain in using rubber component as in PEM fuel cell, as well as the prospects for exploiting them in the future are discussed.

Polyaniline nanofibers were prepared by interfacial polymerization with different organic solvents such as chloroform and carbon tetrachloride. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to study the morphological properties of polyaniline nanofibers. Chemical characterization was carried out using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and surface area was measured using BET isotherm. Polyaniline nanofibers doped with lithium hexafluorophosphate were prepared and their electrochemical properties were evaluated.

Cobalt oxide [Co3O4] anode materials were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal process, and the reaction conditions were optimized to provide good electrochemical properties. The effect of various synthetic reaction and heat treatment conditions on the structure and electrochemical properties of Co3O4 powder was also studied. Physical characterizations of Co3O4 are investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller [BET] method. The BET surface area decreased with values at 131.8 m2/g, 76.1 m2/g, and 55.2 m2/g with the increasing calcination temperature at 200°C, 300°C, and 400°C, respectively. The Co3O4 particle calcinated at 200°C for 3 h has a higher surface area and uniform particle size distribution which may result in better sites to accommodate Li+ and electrical contact and to give a good electrochemical property. The cell composed of Super P as a carbon conductor shows better electrochemical properties than that composed of acetylene black. Among the samples prepared under different reaction conditions, Co3O4 prepared at 200°C for 10 h showed a better cycling performance than the other samples. It gave an initial discharge capacity of 1,330 mAh/g, decreased to 779 mAh/g after 10 cycles, and then showed a steady discharge capacity of 606 mAh/g after 60 cycles.

LiNi0.4Co0.3Mn0.3O2 thin film electrodes are fabricated from LiNi0.4Co0.3Mn0.3O2 raw powder at room temperature without pretreatments using aerosol deposition that is much faster and easier than conventional methods such as vaporization, pulsed laser deposition, and sputtering. The LiNi0.4Co0.3Mn0.3O2 thin film is composed of fine grains maintaining the crystal structure of the LiNi0.4Co0.3Mn0.3O2 raw powder. In the cyclic voltammogram, the LiNi0.4Co0.3Mn0.3O2 thin film electrode shows a 3.9-V anodic peak and a 3.6-V cathodic peak. The initial discharge capacity is 44.6 μAh/cm2, and reversible behavior is observed in charge-discharge profiles. Based on the results, the aerosol deposition method is believed to be a potential candidate for the fabrication of thin film electrodes.

LiFePO4/C is synthesized via sol-gel method using Fe3+ as iron sources and different complexing agents, followed by sintering at high temperature for crystallization. The amount of carbon in these composites is less than 6.8 wt.%, and the X-ray diffraction experiment confirms that all samples are pure single phase indexed with the orthorhombic Pnma space group. The particle size of the LiFePO4/C synthesized by acetic acid as a complexing agent is very fine with a size of 200 nm. The electrochemical performance of this material, including reversible capacity, cycle number, and charge-discharge characteristics, is better than those of LiFePO4/C synthesized by other complexing agents. The cell of this sample can deliver a discharge capacity of 161.1 mAh g-1 at the first cycle. After 30 cycles, the capacity decreases to 157.5 mAh g-1, and the capacity fading rate is 2.2%. The mechanism is studied to explain the effect of a complexing agent on the synthesis of LiFePO4/C by sol-gel method. The results show that the complexing agent with a low stability constant may be proper for the synthetic process of LiFePO4/C via sol-gel method.

The role of B(CN)(4)(-) (Bison) as a component of battery electrolytes is addressed by investigating the ionic conductivity and phase behaviour of ionic liquids (ILs), ion association mechanisms, and the electrochemical stability and cycling properties of LiBison based electrochemical cells. For C(4)mpyrBison and C(2)mimBison ILs, and mixtures thereof, high ionic conductivities (3.4 ≤σ(ion)≤ 18 mS cm(-1)) are measured, which together with the glass transition temperatures (-80 ≤T(g)≤-76 °C) are found to shift systematically for most compositions. Unfortunately, poor solubility of LiBison in these ILs hinders their use as solvents for lithium salts, although good NaBison solubility offers an alternative application in Na(+) conducting electrolytes. The poor IL solubility of LiBison is predicted to be a result of a preferred monodentate ion association, according to first principles modelling, supported by Raman spectroscopy. The solubility is much improved in strongly Li(+) coordinating oligomers, for example polyethylene glycol dimethyl ether (PEGDME), with the practical performance tested in electrochemical cells. The electrolyte is found to be stable in Li/LiFePO(4) coin cells up to 4 V vs. Li and shows promising cycling performance, with a capacity retention of 99% over 22 cycles., (This journal is © the Owner Societies 2011)

Sulfur electrode was prepared using sulfur-CNT composite powder. The sulfur electrode showed homogenous mixture of sulfur and the CNTs with a network structure. We investigated on the discharge behavior and cycling property of lithium/sulfur cell using sulfur electrodes with CNTs as unique conducting agents. The discharge capacity of the Li/TEGDME/S cell was about 1227 mAh/g-sulfur for the first cycle and decreased to 155 mAh/g-sulfur after 14 cycles.