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LiPF6 as a dominant lithium salt of electrolyte is widely used in commercial rechargeable lithium‐ion batteries due to its well‐balanced properties, including high solubility in organic solvents, good electrochemical stability, and high ionic conductivity. However, it suffers from several undesirable properties, such as high moisture sensitivity, thermal instability, and high cost. To address these issues, herein, we propose an electron‐donation modulation (EDM) rule for the development of low‐cost, sustainable, and electrochemically compatible LiNO3‐based electrolytes. We employ high donor‐number solvents (HDNSs) with strong electron‐donation ability to dissolve LiNO3, while low donor‐number solvents (LDNSs) with weak electron‐donation ability are used to regulate the solvation structure to stabilize the electrolytes. As an example, we design the LiNO3‐DMSO@PC electrolyte, where DMSO acts as an HDNS and PC serves as an LDNS. This electrolyte exhibits excellent electrochemical compatibility with graphite anodes, as well as the LiFePO4 and LiCoO2 cathodes, leading to stable cycling over 200 cycles. Through spectroscopy analyses and theoretical calculation, we uncover the underlying mechanism responsible for the stabilization of these electrolytes. Our findings provide valuable insights into the preparation of LiNO3‐based electrolytes using the EDM rule, opening new avenues for the development of advanced electrolytes with versatile functions for sustainable rechargeable batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Confining nanostructured electrode materials in porous carbon represents an effective strategy for improving the electrochemical performance of lithium‐ion batteries. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of hybrid hollow nanostructures composed of highly dispersed Co3O4 hollow nanoparticles (sub‐20 nm) embedded in the mesoporous walls of carbon nanoboxes (denoted as H‐Co3O4@MCNBs) as an anode material for lithium‐ion batteries. The facile metal–organic framework (MOF)‐engaged strategy for the synthesis of H‐Co3O4@MCNBs involves chemical etching‐coordination and subsequent two‐step annealing treatments. Owing to the unique structural merits including more active interfacial sites, effectively alleviated volume variation, good and stable electrical contact, and easy access of Li+ ions, the H‐Co3O4@MCNBs exhibit excellent lithium‐storage performance in terms of high specific capacity, excellent rate capability, and cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of Li dendrites hinders the practical application of lithium metal anodes (LMAs). In this work, a hollow nanostructure, based on hierarchical MoS2 coated hollow carbon particles preloaded with sulfur (C@MoS2/S), was designed to modify the LMA. The C@MoS2 hollow nanostructures serve as a good scaffold for repeated Li plating/stripping. More importantly, the encapsulated sulfur could gradually release lithium polysulfides during the Li plating/stripping, acting as an effective additive to promote the formation of a mosaic solid electrolyte interphase layer embedded with crystalline hybrid lithium‐based components. These two factors together effectively suppress the growth of Li dendrites. The as‐modified LMA shows a high Coulombic efficiency of 98 % over 500 cycles at the current density of 1 mA cm−2. When matched with a LiFePO4 cathode, the assembled full cell displays a highly improved cycle life of 300 cycles, implying the feasibility of the proposed LMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid materials, integrating the merits of individual components, are ideal structures for efficient sodium storage. However, the construction of hybrid structures with decent physical/electrochemical properties is still challenging. Now, the elaborate design and synthesis of hierarchical nanoboxes composed of three‐layered Cu2S@carbon@MoS2 as anode materials for sodium‐ion batteries is reported. Through a facile multistep template‐engaged strategy, ultrathin MoS2 nanosheets are grown on nitrogen‐doped carbon‐coated Cu2S nanoboxes to realize the Cu2S@carbon@MoS2 configuration. The design shortens the diffusion path of electrons/Na+ ions, accommodates the volume change of electrodes during cycling, enhances the electric conductivity of the hybrids, and offers abundant active sites for sodium uptake. By virtue of these advantages, these three‐layered Cu2S@carbon@MoS2 hierarchical nanoboxes show excellent electrochemical properties in terms of decent rate capability and stable cycle life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of hybrid architectures for electrode materials has been demonstrated as an efficient strategy to boost sodium‐storage properties because of the synergetic effect of each component. However, the fabrication of hybrid nanostructures with a rational structure and desired composition for effective sodium storage is still challenging. In this study, an integrated nanostructure composed of copper‐substituted CoS2@CuxS double‐shelled nanoboxes (denoted as Cu‐CoS2@CuxS DSNBs) was synthesized through a rational metal–organic framework (MOF)‐based templating strategy. The unique shell configuration and complex composition endow the Cu‐CoS2@CuxS DSNBs with enhanced electrochemical performance in terms of superior rate capability and stable cyclability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal sulfides with excellent redox reversibility and high capacity are very promising electrode materials for sodium‐ion batteries. However, their practical application is still hindered by the poor rate capability and limited cycle life. Herein, a template‐based strategy is developed to synthesize nitrogen‐doped carbon‐coated Cu9S5 bullet‐like hollow particles starting from bullet‐like ZnO particles. With the structural and compositional advantages, these unique nitrogen‐doped carbon‐coated Cu9S5 bullet‐like hollow particles manifest excellent sodium storage properties with superior rate capability and ultra‐stable cycling performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal sulfides have received considerable attention for efficient sodium storage owing to their high capacity and decent redox reversibility. However, the poor rate capability and fast capacity decay greatly hinder their practical application in sodium‐ion batteries. Herein, an elegant multi‐step templating strategy has been developed to rationally synthesize hierarchical double‐shelled nanoboxes with the CoS2 nanosheet‐constructed outer shell supported on the CuS inner shell. Their structure and composition enable these hierarchical CuS@CoS2 nanoboxes to show boosted electrochemical properties with high capacity, outstanding rate capability, and long cycle life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and synthesis of hierarchical microboxes, assembled from SnS nanoplates coated with nitrogen‐doped carbon (NC) as an anode material for sodium‐ion batteries, is demonstrated. The template‐engaged multistep synthesis of the SnS@NC microboxes involves sequential phase transformation, polydopamine coating, and thermal annealing in N2. The SnS@NC composite with two‐dimensional nano‐sized subunits rationally integrates several advantages including shortening the diffusion path of electrons/Na+ ions, improving electric conductivity, and alleviating volume variation of the electrode material. As a result, the SnS@NC microboxes show efficient sodium storage performance with high capacity, good cycling stability, and excellent rate capability. Thinking outside the box: Hierarchical microboxes constructed from SnS nanoplates coated with N‐doped carbon (NC) were synthesized as an anode material for sodium‐ion batteries. Benefiting from the unique structural and compositional advantages, the SnS@NC microboxes show efficient sodium storage performance with high capacity, long cycling stability, and superior rate capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Antimony‐based electrode materials with high specific capacity have aroused considerable interest as anode materials for sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs). Herein, we develop a template‐engaged ion‐exchange method to synthesize Sb2Se3 microclips, and the as‐obtained Sb2Se3 microclips are further in situ coated with polypyrrole (PPy). Benefiting from the structural and compositional merits, these PPy‐coated Sb2Se3 microclips exhibit enhanced sodium‐storage properties in terms of high reversible capacity, superior rate capability, and stable cycling performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered metal oxides have attracted increasing attention as cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, the application of such cathode materials is still hindered by their poor rate capability and cycling stability. Here, a facile self-templated strategy is developed to synthesize uniform P2-Na0.7CoO2 microspheres. Due to the unique microsphere structure, the contact area of the active material with electrolyte is minimized. As expected, the P2-Na0.7CoO2 microspheres exhibit enhanced electrochemical performance for sodium storage in terms of high reversible capacity (125 mAh g−1 at 5 mA g−1), superior rate capability and long cycle life (86 % capacity retention over 300 cycles). Importantly, the synthesis method can be easily extended to synthesize other layered metal oxide (P2-Na0.7MnO2 and O3-NaFeO2) microspheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]