Nanostructured transition metal nitride composites as energy storage material

There are growing demands for the next generation lithium ion batteries with high energy density as well as high power performance for renewable energy storage and electric vehicles application.Recently,nanoscale materials with outstanding energy storage capability have received considerable attention due to their unique effect caused by the reduced dimensions.This review describes some recent developments of our group in research of transition metal nitride nanocomposites in application of energy storage,especially for lithium ion battery and supercapacitor.The strategies of mixed conduction(electron and ion) network with a favorable charge transportation interface in the design of the nanocomposites for such devices are highlighted.     

电化学阻抗技术在高容量锂离子电池中的研究进展

The world’s energy system is changing dramatically. Li-ion battery, as a powerful and highly effective energy storage technique, is crucial to the new energy revolution for its continuously expanding application in electric vehicles and grids. Over the entire lifetime of these power batteries, it is essential to monitor their state of health not only for the predicted mileage and safety management of the running electric vehicles, but also for an “end-of-life” evaluation for their repurpose. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has been widely used to diagnose the health state of batteries quickly and nondestructively. In this review, we have outlined the working principles of several electrochemical impedance techniques and further evaluated their application prospects to achieve the goal of nondestructive testing of battery health. EIS can scientifically and reasonably perform real-time monitoring and evaluation of electric vehicle power batteries in the future and play an important role in vehicle safety and battery gradient utilization.     

Application prospects of high-voltage cathode materials in all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries

All-solid-state lithium-ion batteries are lithiumion batteries with solid-state electrolytes instead of liquid electrolytes.They are hopeful in solving the safety problems of lithium-ion batteries,once their large capacity and long life are achieved,they will have broad application prospects in the field of electric vehicles and large-scale energy storage.The working potential window of solid electrolytes is wider than that of liquid electrolytes,so high-voltage cathode materials could be used in all-solidstate lithium-ion batteries to get higher energy density and larger capacity by elevating the working voltage of the batteries.The spinel LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4material,layered Li–Ni–Co–Mn–O cathode materials and lithium-rich cathode materials can be expected to be applied to all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries as cathode materials due to their highvoltage platforms.In this review,the electrochemical properties and structures of spinel LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4material,layered Li–Ni–Co–Mn–O cathode materials and lithiumrich cathode materials are introduced.More attentions are paid on recent research progress of conductivity and interface stability of these materials,in order to improve their compatibility with solid electrolytes as cathode materials in all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries and fully improve the properties of all-solid-state batteries.Finally,the existing problems of their application in all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries are summarized,the main research directions are put forward and their application prospects in all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries are discussed.     

Heteroatom-doped graphene for electrochemical energy storage

The increasing energy consumption and envi- ronmental concerns due to burning fossil fuel are key drivers for the development of effective energy storage systems based on innovative materials. Among these materials, graphene has emerged as one of the most promising due to its chemical, electrical, and mechanical properties. Heteroatom doping has been proven as an effective way to tailor the properties of graphene and render its potential use for energy storage devices. In this view, we review the recent developments in the synthesis and applications of heteroatom-doped graphene in supercapacitors and lithium ion batteries.     

Preparation of nanocrystalline Co<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> and its properties as supercapacitors

Electrochemical capacitors store the capacitance through faradic reaction, which is generally named psue-docapacitance or supercapacitance. They are currently extensively studied as novel energy storage devices. Due to their superb characteristics of high power density and long cycle life compared to the conventional batteries, their high pulse-power capability is very excellent. Inter-ests in supercapacitor energy-storage systems have arisen in recent years on account of possible applications…     

Progress in electrode materials for the industrialization of sodium-ion batteries

In recent years, sodium-ion batteries(SIBs) have received renewed attention due to the continued rise in lithium prices. SIBs are promising to replace lithium-ion batteries under various application scenarios, such as large-scale energy storage systems and low-speed electric vehicles. As the core of SIBs, electrode materials are the key factor demining the electrochemical performance. Key drawback, including cycle stability, air stability and energy density, are refraining the development of SIB...     

Hydrogenation of nanostructured semiconductors for energy conversion and storage

Nanostructured semiconductors have been researched intensively for energy conversion and storage applications in recent decades. Despite of tremendous find- ings and achievements, the performance of the devices resulted from the nanomaterials in terms of energy conversion efficiency and storage capacity needs further improvement to become economically viable for subsequent commercializa- tion. Hydrogenation is a simple, efficient, and cost-effective way for tailoring the electronic and morphological properties of the nanostructured materials. This work reviews a series of hydrogenated nanostructured materials was produced by the hydrogenation of a wide range of nanomaterials. These materials with improved inherent conductivity and changed characteristic lattice structure possess much enhanced per- formance for energy conversion application, e.g., photo- electrocatalytic production of hydrogen, and energy storage applications, e.g., lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. The hydrogenation mechanisms as well as resultant properties responsible for the efficiency improvement are explored in details. This work provides guidance for researchers to use the hydrogenation technology to design functional materials.     

Benefits of Nanostructuring Electrodes for High-Energy and High-Power Lithium Batteries

1 Results One of the greatest challenges for our society is providing powerful electrochemical energy storage devices with both high energy and high power densities. Rechargeable lithium-based batteries are amongst the most promising candidates in terms of energy density,the achievement of high power density is hindered by kinetic problems of the electrode materials.This contribution that emphasizes the power of nanostructuring for electrodes in lithium-based batteries,deals with several nanostructured electrode materials     

The Impact of Nanocomposite Materials on Lithium Ion Batteries

1 Results Lithiumion batteries have become the power source of choice for consumer electronic devices such as cell phones and laptop computers due to their high energy density and long cycle life. In addition,lithium-ion batteries are expected to be a major breakthrough in the hybrid vehicle field.Despite their successful commercial application,further performance improvement of the lithium ion battery is still required.Nanomaterials and nanotechnologies can lead to a new generation of lithium secondary batteries.Here we present recent progress on nanocomposite materials and nanotechniques in our studies for anode materials of lithium rechargeable batteries.     

Fluoro-Compounds in Electrolytes for Energy Storage Devices

1 Results Electrochemical energy storage devices such as lithium-ion batteries[1-2] and double-layer capacitors[3-4] have attracted a great deal of attention because of their potential application to electric hybrid vehicles. They utilize nonaqueous electrolyte solutions comprising from organic solvents and lithium or quaternary ammonium salts with fluorine-containing anions. This is because the relatively large anions with electron-withdrawing atoms enable ionic dissociation in dipolar aprotic solvents and afford enough oxidation potentials for high voltage devices.The author reviews their fundamental electrochemical properties such as electrolytic conductivity and electrochemical window based on our experimental results,and explains why fluoro-compounds are important for the electrochemical energy storage devices. Discussion is extended to ionic liquids[5],which recently receive much attention as a non-flammable and non-volatile electrolyte.     

New secondary batteries and their key materials based on the concept of multi-electron reaction

Facing the significant applications in energy field, this paper introduces how to construct new high specific energy secondary batteries based on the concept multi-electron reaction and by designing multi-electron electrode materials. Recent progress on those new secondary batteries and their key materials based on the theory of multi-electron reaction are overviewed. Representative multi-electronic electrode materials, such as metal borides, metal fluorides, sulfur composite electrode materials and ferrates are briefly introduced, as well as the new secondary battery systems constructed with these materials. Thus gives the significance of the development based on multi- electron reaction mechanism of secondary batteries and their key materials for new chemical battery systems and related energy materials.     

Charge Transfer and Bonding Strength in Lithium-intercalated Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons Studied by Photoelectron Spectroscopy

1 Results The potential applications of small-, medium-and large-size polyaromatic hydrocarbons for charge and energy storage in lithium metal and lithium ion batteries are discussed. In order to find the best carbon-based electrode materials, the specific roles of the molecular and solid-state contributions have to be understood. For the molecular contributions, a semi-quantitative method is proposed to compare the charge storage capability of polyaromatic hydrocarbon molecules. A compilation of results for oligophenyls, oligoacenes and medium-size planar systems suggest trends in the dependence of the charge storage capability on the size and shape of the molecules[1].     

Mesoporous carbon with large pores as anode for Na-ion batteries

Sodium ion(Na+)batteries have attracted increased attention for energy storage owing to the natural abundance and low cost of sodium.Herein,we report the synthesis of mesoporous carbon with large pores as anode for Na-ion batteries.The mesoporous carbon was obtained by carbonization and dense packing of 50 nm resorcinol and formaldehyde spheres synthesized through an extension Sto¨ber method.Our work demonstrates that replacement of lithium by sodium using large pore carbon as anode might offer an alternative route for rechargeable batteries.     

Nanostructured TiO2（B）:the effect of size and shape on anode properties for Li-ion batteries

Reducing the dimensions of electrode materials from the micron to the nanoscale can have a profound influence on their properties and hence on the performance of electrochemical devices,e.g.Li-ion batteries,that employ such electrodes.TiO2(B) has received growing interest as a possible anode for Li-ion batteries in recent years.It offers the possibility of higher energy storage compared with the commercialized Li4Ti5O12.Bulk,nanowire,nanotube,and nanoparticle morphologies have been prepared and studied.However,to date these materials have not be compared in one article.In the current review we first summarize the different synthesis methods for the preparation of nanostructured TiO2(B);then present the effects of size and shape on the electrochemical properties.Finally TiO2(B) with nanometer dimensions exhibit a higher capacity to store Li,regardless of rate,due to structural distortions inherent at the nanoscale.     

锂–硫电池硫正极的金属磷化物和硫化物催化载体

Lithium?sulfur batteries are one of the most competitive high-energy batteries due to their high theoretical energy density of 2600 W·h·kg?1. However, their commercialization is limited by poor cycle stability mainly due to the low intrinsic electrical conductivity of sulfur and its discharged products (Li₂S₂/Li₂S), the sluggish reaction kinetics of sulfur cathode, and the “shuttle effect” of soluble intermediate lithium polysulfides in ether-based electrolyte. To address these challenges, catalytic hosts have recently been introduced in sulfur cathodes to enhance the conversion of soluble polysulfides to the final solid products and thus prevent the dissolution and loss of active-sulfur material. In this review, we summarize the recent progress on the use of metal phosphides and borides of different dimensions as the catalytic host of sulfur cathodes and demonstrate the catalytic conversion mechanism of sulfur cathodes with the help of metal phosphides and borides for high-energy and long-life lithium–sulfur batteries. Finally, future outlooks are proposed on developing advanced catalytic host materials to improve battery performance.     

Series multilayer internal electrodes for high energy density glass-ceramic capacitors

The glass-ceramic dielectrics and internal electrode structures are investigated for improving the general energy storage density of capacitors. Calculation indicates that glass-ceramics acquired from glass matrix annealing at 850℃ for 3 hours can be approximately up to 17 J/cm3 in energy storage density. They are appropriately chosen as the dielectrics for preparing high energy storage density capacitors （HESDCs）. A series multilayer structure of internal electrode is developed for the HESDCs, in which each layer is a combination of gold film and silver paste. This electrode structure promises the capacitor immune from the residual porosity defects inevitably brought by electrode paste sintering process, and specifically improves the electrical breakdown strength of the capacitor. Based on this new electrode structure, the energy storage densities of capacitors are increased by more than one order of magnitude compared with those traditional ones with only single layer of internal electrode. Thus, HESDCs based on the optimized glass-ceramic dielectrics can potentially achieve 7.5 J/cm3 in energy storage density, even taking into consideration the enlargement of total capacitor volumes while encapsulating practicable capacitors from dielectrics media.     

Solid Polymer Electrolytes Based on Cross-linkable Oligo (oxyethylene)-Branched Oligo (organophosphazenes)

1Introduction Solid polymer electrolytes have attracted considerable interest because of their potential application in secondary high energy density lithium batteries. The poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO) has been widely studied as the classical polymer matrix for solid polymer electrolytes. However, the poor room temperature conductivity due to its crystalline is the principal problem to be overcomed. This has prompted many researchers to attempt to modify the properties of PEO.     

Metal oxide and hydroxide nanoarrays: Hydrothermal synthes is and applications as superc apacitors and nanocatalysts

The development of nanotechnology in recent decades has brought new opportunities in the exploration of new materials for solving the issues of fossil fuel consumption and environment pollution.Materials with nano-array architecture are emerging as the key due to their structure advantages,which offer the possibility to fabricate high-performance electrochemical electrodes and catalysts for both energy storage and effcient use of energy.The main challenges in this feld remain as rational structure design and corresponding controllable synthesis.This article reviews recent progress in our laboratory related to the hydrothermal synthesis of metal oxide and hydroxide nanoarrays,whose structures are designed aiming to the application on supercapacitors and catalysts.The strategies for developing advanced materials of metal oxide and hydroxide nanoarrays,including NiO,Ni(OH)2,Co3O4,Co3O4@Ni–Co–O,cobalt carbonate hydroxide array,and mixed metal oxide arrays like Co3 xFex O4and Znx Co3 xO4,are discussed.The different kinds of structure designs such as 1D nanorod,2D nanowall and hierarchical arrays were involved to meet the needs of the high performance materials.Finally,the future trends and perspectives in the development of advanced nanoarrays materials are highlighted.     

High-Order BAM, Its Modifications and Performance Analyses

Based on Tai' s high - order bidirectional associative memory ( HOBAM) and Stmposon' s intraconnected BAM (IBAM) , two Improved models are first presented and discussed in this paper. The improved models not only retain the advantages of both HOBAM and ISAM but overcome the shortcomings of Kosko' s BAM also. Secondly their recall stabilities in synchronous and asyn-chronous update modes have been proven by defining corresponding energy functions which decrease as the re-call process proceeds such that the systems can ensure all the training pattern pairs to become local minima of the energy surfaces. Finally with signal - to - noise ratio (SNR) approach, we show that their storage capacities and error correction capabilities are better than that of the HOBAM.     

Progress in research on the performance and service life of batteries membrane of new energy automotive

Batteries membrane materials are widely used in new energy automotives such as hybrid vehicles,fuel cell vehicles,and pure electric vehicles.Membrane consists of two categories:fuel cell membrane(power unit) and power battery membrane(charge and discharge device).With rapid development of the processes and technology of cell membrane materials,there is urgent need to study their properties and service life.The article summarizes the recent research progress in proton exchange membrane materials,lithium battery separator materials,and nickel-hydrogen battery separator materials.Based on our laboratory research,the paper features the affecting factors and mitigation strategy of performance and service life for automotive battery membrane materials.Future direction for the batteries membrane material of new energy automotive is discussed.