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The configuration of positive charge alignments in a poled-BaTiO3 functionalized separator, and the mechanism for anchoring polysulfides and accelerating Li-ion transportation.

Aqueous Zn metal batteries suffer from rapid cycling deterioration due to the severe water corrosion and dendrite growth on Zn anodes. Herein, a highly antiwater Zn

In this review, we classify in detail the recent achievements in structural and composition design, including intrinsic zinc metal anodes, metal-based anodes, alloy-based anodes, carbon-based anodes, MXene-based anodes and some novel composite anodes.

A zwitterionic additive (l-CN) with a positively charged quaternary ammonium site and multifunctional polar groups was employed to achieve ultralong-life Zn-ion batteries.

Glycoproteins are present in all living beings, and have many biological functions. The characterisation of glycan structures of plant glycoproteins has become increasingly important in biotechnology and agricultural applications. In the present work, the antioxidant activities of the okra glycoprotein were assessed. The glycan structures of the okra glycoprotein were analysed using lectin microarray combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The okra glycoprotein showed relatively strong 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-scavenging ability and reducing power. In addition, the glycan structures of the okra glycoprotein mainly contained N-acetylglucosamine, mannose, and galactose. Furthermore, complex-type N-glycans were the major type of glycan structures from the okra glycoprotein. Most of the complex N-glycans of the okra glycoprotein had terminal GalNAc and Gal N-glycan structures; the glycoprotein showed a high level of fucosylated complex-type glycans. Therefore, the okra glycoprotein is a promising antioxidant. Results of the present work might serve as a reference for a better understanding of the structural information and bioactivity of okra glycoprotein.

Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) are ideal candidates for next-generation high energy density energy storage systems. However, uncontrollable growth of Li dendrites due to uneven Li plating has restricted the practical application of the Li metal anode. Here, we develop a highly lithiophilic Zn coating on commercial Cu foil as a substrate for Li metal anode to settle above issues. We find that the lithiophilic nature of Zn can facilitate homogeneous nucleation and deposition of Li on Cu current collector surface. In addition, the uniform Zn coating can not only decrease the nucleation overpotential but also regulate the electric field distribution. Benefiting from the coated Zn layer, the designed anode for half-cell and full-cell tests shows better electrochemical performances compared with the untreated Cu foil. This work provides a simple and effective way to enable a promising dendrite-free lithium metal anode for large-scale industrial applications.

Among various Zn-based batteries, transition metal compounds have been widely studied as cathode materials in alkaline electrolyte. However, the correlation between anion species and the electrochemical performance of corresponding compounds is still not well understood. Here, we construct a 3D-architecrured F doping Ni/Co hydroxides/oxides/phosphides (FNCA, A = H, O, P) as the model materials and deeply explore the effect of anion substitution on cathode material for Zn batteries. Electrochemical measurements are combined with theoretical calculations to reveal the mechanisms of FNCA delivering considerable dissimilarity in electrochemical properties. In-depth analysis suggests that the surface-dominated redox behaviors are greatly affected by the anion substitution, though the reversible capacity is just produced by the valence change of metal cations. The FNCP exhibits the highest capacity among three samples but an inferior cycling stability. As contrast, the FNCO shows a balanced characteristic of good capacity and superior cycling performance. Based on the understanding, we construct FNCA//Zn batteries. As expected, the FNCP//Zn batteries delivers the highest specific capacity of 318 mAh g−1 and a superior energy density of 532.7 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 1.673 kW kg−1, but an inferior cycling stability reserved from the individual FNCP electrode. This work provides a rational insight for deep understanding the behaviors that anions affect electrochemical energy storage but not participate in redox reactions, and offer more effective feasibility to design high capacity and durable cathode materials for aqueous Zn-based batteries.

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are attractive candidates for next-generation batteries. However, the challenge of uneven zinc electroplating/electrostripping on bare Zn anodes has severely restrained the practical application of ZIBs. To address this problem, a straightforward strategy of sliver particle-coated zinc plate (designated as Zn@Ag) via the metallic replacement reaction as the zinc metal anode has been employed to facilitate uniform and stable Zn-plating/stripping. The newly formed AgZn3 alloy from silver particles at the first zinc-plating cycle with good zinc affinity can effectively lower the energy barrier of zinc nucleation and promote uniform electric field distribution for the flow of Zn ions, resulting in stable zinc deposition. Benefiting from the in situ formed alloy phase, the Zn@Ag anode achieves stable cycling for over 1700 h with a very low polarization voltage of about 21 mV at 0.25 mA cm−2 and 0.25 mA h cm−2, while the bare Zn anode just exhibits less than 150 cycles with large voltage fluctuation and polarization under same conditions. As a consequence, greatly improved performance of the Zn@Ag//CNT/MnO2 full-cell with twice the capacity (177 mA h g−1) than that of bare Zn//CNT/MnO2 full-cell (71 mA h g−1) after 400 cycles at 0.6 A g−1 can be realized. This work provides a facile and effective approach to regulate Zn deposition for the achievement of long-life rechargeable ZIBs.

The lithium metal anode has been treated as the most promising alternative in next-generation lithium-based batteries due to its ultra-high theoretical capacity, low potential and light weight. However, significant challenges such as dendrite growth and poor lifetime have severely hindered the commercialization process of lithium metal anodes. The separator not only functions as the first signal of lithium dendrite formation, but also the last barrier to prevent the battery from short-circuit, playing an irreplaceable role in lithium metal batteries. Traditional polyolefin separators have shortcomings such as poor thermal stability and poor wettability. Therefore, separator engineering is of great significance for suppressing lithium dendrite growth. In this review, we classified the recent progress of separator engineering in lithium metal batteries into four parts: (1) optimizing the performance of polyolefin membranes; (2) controlling the dendrite growth direction; (3) developing a novel separator material; (4) introducing a functional multilayer membrane. To obtain direct evidence of dendrite suppression by separator engineering, new technical means for certifying lithium deposition behaviors have also been reviewed. Finally, our conclusion and perspectives on the future research and development of lithium metal batteries are also briefly outlined.

Cathode materials have impeded the development of aqueous Zn batteries (AZBs) for a long time due to their low capacity and poor cycling stability. Here, a “two birds with one stone” strategy is devised to optimize the Ni–Co hydroxide cathode material (NCH) for AZBs, which plays an essential role in both composition adjustment and morphology majorization. The F-doped Ni–Co hydroxide (FNCH) exhibits a unique nanoarray structure consisting of the 2D flake-like unit, furnishing abundant active sites for the redox reaction. A series of analyses prove that FNCH delivers improved electrical conductivity and enhanced electrochemical activity. Contributing to the unique morphology and adjusted characteristics, FNCH presents a higher discharge-specific capacity, more advantageous rate capability and competitive cycling stability than NCH. As a result, an aqueous Zn battery assembled with a FNCH cathode and Zn anode exhibits a high capacity of 0.23 mAh cm−2 at 1 mA cm−2, and retains 0.10 mAh cm−2 at 10 mA cm−2. More importantly, the FNCH–Zn battery demonstrates no capacity decay after 3000 cycles with a conspicuous capacity of 0.15 mAh cm−2 at 8 mA cm−2, indicating a superior cycling performance. This work provides a facile approach to develop high-performance cathodes for aqueous Zn batteries.

Developing excellent pseudocapacitive electrodes with long cycle, high areal capacity and large rate has been challenged. 3D printing is an additive manufacture technique that has been explored to construct microelectrodes of arbitrary geometries for high-energy–density supercapacitors. In comparison with conventional electrodes with uncontrollable geometries and architectures, 3D-printed electrodes possess unique advantage in geometrical shape, mechanical properties, surface area, especially in ion transport and charge transfer. Thus, a desirable 3D electrode with ordered porous structures can be elaborately designed by 3D printing technology for improving electrochemical capacitance and rate capability. In this work, a designed, monolithic and ordered multi-porous 3D Cu conductive skeleton was manufactured through 3D direct ink writing technique and coated with CuO nanosheet arrays by an in situ electro-oxidation treatment. Benefiting from the highly ordered multi-porous nature, the 3D-structured skeleton can effectively enlarge the surface area, enhance the penetration of electrolyte and facilitate fast electron and ion transport. As a result, the 3D-printed Cu deposited with electro-oxidation-generated CuO (3DP Cu@CuO) electrodes demonstrates an ultrahigh areal capacitance of 1.690 F cm−2 (38.79 F cm−3) at a large current density of 30 mA cm−2 (688.59 mA cm−3), excellent lifespan of 88.20% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles at 30 mA cm−2 and superior rate capability (94.31% retention, 2-30 mA cm−2). This design concept of 3D printing multi-porous current collector with hierarchical active materials provides a novel way to build high-performance 3D microelectrodes.

In this work, nickel/T-Nb2O5 nanoparticles encapsulated in mesoporous carbon nanofibers (denoted as Ni/T-Nb2O5@CNFs) are successfully prepared through a simple electrospinning route and succedent heating treatment. The presence of Ni in carbon nanofibers is beneficial for enhancing the electronic conductivity and the initial Coulombic efficiency. Ni/T-Nb2O5 nanoparticles are homogeneously incorporated in carbon nanofibers to form a nanocomposite system, which provides effective buffering during the lithiation/delithiation process for cycling stability. The Ni/T-Nb2O5@CNFs show high surface area (26.321 m2·g−1) and mesoporous microstructure, resulting in higher capacity and excellent rate performance. The Ni/T-Nb2O5@CNFs exhibit a remarkable capacity of 437 mAh·g−1 at a current density of 0.5 A·g−1 after 230 cycles and a capacity of 173 mAh·g−1 at a current density up to 10.0 A·g−1 after 1400 cycles. This work indicates that nickel/T-Nb2O5 nanoparticles encapsulated in carbon nanofibers can be a promising candidate for anode material in high-power LIBs.

Transition metal phosphides (TMPs) are recognized as such promising supercapacitor materials for the practical application, due to their superior electrical conductivity and excellent redox activity. Here, self-supported three-dimensional NiCoP nanoparticles embedded in NiCoO2 nanowires (NiCoO2/NiCoP) electrode consisting of nickel cobalt phosphides (NiCoP) with high activity and nickel cobalt oxides (NiCoO2) with good stability were fabricated by a hydrothermal and phosphorization method. The electrode integrates the advantages of nanowire arrays for fast ion transport and foam Ni for effective charge transport and flexibility. Benefitting the proper composition control of the nanohybrid and unique structure design, the optimized NiCoO2/NiCoP-20 exhibits a high specific capacitance of 3204 F·g−1 at 1 A·g−1 in 3 mol·L−1 KOH aqueous electrolyte in a three-electrode system. Moreover, the asymmetric supercapacitor assembled with the prepared NiCoO2/NiCoP-20 and activated carbon achieves a specific capacitance of 116 F·g−1 with a high energy density of 40.32 Wh·kg−1 at the power density of 800.18 W·kg−1. The practical application is further demonstrated with all-solid-state winding supercapacitor devices, with decent flexibility, in series to light the Central South University (CSU) logo consisting of 21 red LED indicators. The NiCoO2/NiCoP-20 combines the superior electrical conductivity and preeminent redox activity of NiCoP and excellent electrochemical stability of NiCoO2 together, which performed the best electrochemical performance.

The effects of the flooding and initial Eh of sediments on the sorption of uranium onto the sediments were analysed by flooding and static experiments. The changes in uranium species with Eh and ki...

The effects of pH, sorbent dosage, total phosphorus concentration, initial uranium concentration, shaking time, temperature, and uranium species of a solution of illite for uranium adsorption were investigated with static experimental methods. The sorption process is a nonlinear multi-layer sorption on the non-uniform surface of illite, dominated by chemical ion-exchange adsorption, an endothermic and spontaneous process that increases entropy. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model can depict the sorption of uranium on illite well. This study is expected to provide theoretical support for research on the sorption mechanism of uranium on illite in plurality systems.

Planar integrated electrodes have recently attracted much attention owing to their unique and superior patterning design for portable and wearable energy storage devices. Most of previous in-plane micro-fabrications often involve complex processing which leads to high costs and delicate lithography protocols. In this work, a simple, novel and low-cost protocol for converting flexible and on-demand patterning into a coplanar symmetric supercapacitor is reported. The interdigitated architecture is readily fabricated by spontaneous deposition of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) on patterned conductive fabric templates and then electrodeposition of Ni metal. The obtained rGO/Ni pattern is then transfer-printed from the conductive fabric to a tape to form the interdigitated electrode with the bottom layer Ni serving as current collector and the top reduced graphene oxide layer for energy storage. The as-fabricated all-solid-state planar symmetric supercapacitors exhibit a much lower contact resistance, higher capacitances and better rate-capabilities. It acquires a maximal areal capacitance of 12.5 mF cm−2 at a scan rate of 5 mV/s, exhibiting an energy density of 2.25 mW h cm−3 at a power density of 0.04 W cm−3, and can maintain 94.8% of its initial capacitance after 20,000 cycles.

Through full flexible realization of a new energy harvesting mode using only common fiber materials as active components by adopting a computerized knitting programme strategy, herein we developed a new kind of all-textile energy harvesters (A-TEHs) with a three-dimensional fabric structural integrity that can harvest and convert mechanical energy to electricity directly. The electric performance of obtained A-TEHs working at a single-electrode mode was extraordinary, which can generate a maximum power density of 1768.2 mW m−2 by 1200 N at a matched resistance load of 50 MΩ, and directly light up over 320 LEDs instantaneously by a single impact with an effective area of only 56.7 cm2. When A-TEH was used to charge a 200 µF commercial capacitor storage device with a bridge rectifier, its charging capacity increased with the triggering force, ranging from 6.7 mV s−1 at 100 N to 11.3 mV s−1 at 1400 N. Benefiting from the full structural integrity of fiber materials, A-TEHs, for the first time, truly realized the excellent textile properties that all wearable electronics try to achieve, including safety, lightweight, comfort, breathability, washability, and unique advantage of tailorability, leading to a kind of truly wearable energy harvesters with versatile product designability.

The inevitable formation of dendrite-like morphology restricts the practical application of metallic lithium (Li) in secondary lithium metal batteries (LMBs) though it is regarded as a promising anode material for high-energy-density batteries. Achieving uniform Li plating is an essential strategy to address this issue; nevertheless, it is difficult to realize this on a commercial current collector. Herein, a nanostructured lithiophilic layer of vertically aligned NiO hexagonal nanoplates on Ni foil is formed by a simple hydrothermal strategy. The lithiophilic nature of NiO can effectively guide the homogeneous smooth deposition of metallic Li on Ni collector surface by reducing the nucleation barrier of the electrode. Such a structure of vertical NiO nanoplate arrays transforming into Ni/Li2O greatly decreases the local current inhomogeneity, facilitates the Li-ion kinetic transfer, and ensures good electron conduction between the lithiophilic layer and the conductive substrate. Benefiting from such a structure, the fabricated anode achieves a steady coulombic efficiency of 97% for 140 cycles (1 mA cm−2) and a prolonged lifespan of up to 600 hours (0.25 mA cm−2), confirming the effective suppression of volume change and dendrite morphology. This strategy provides an effective and facile way for obtaining a stable lithium metal anode.

Wearable fiber-shaped supercapacitor (SC) is a kind of one-dimensional flexible devices that can be directly knitted or sewn into various kinds of textile soft-substrate for wearable energy storage. Herein, acid-pretreated stainless steel yarn (SSY) has been developed to support electrodeposition of active materials of nickel/cobalt composite and polypyrrole (PPy) as the positive and negative electrodes, respectively. The asymmetric all-solid-state supercapacitors (AASs) showed both high electrochemical properties and excellent mechanical flexibility under various degrees of deformation. The highest volumetric capacitance reached 14.69 F cm−3 at the current density of 25 mA cm−3, and the maximum energy density was 3.83 mWh·cm−3 (0.032 mWh·cm−2) at a power density of 18.75 mW cm−3 (0.284 mW cm−2). The AASs were highly flexible and durable for directly being sewn into textile fabrics, and exhibited a good electrochemical stability under 6000 charging/discharging cycles. This work uses the common materials and facile methods to fabricate the flexible and wearable AASs with enhanced electrochemical properties, showing a decent way in developing flexible SC devices.

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are attractive candidates for next-generation batteries because of low cost and high safety merits. However, ZIBs still suffer from the problems of dendrites growth during the electrostripping/electroplating process, leading to low cycling stability and hindering the application of ZIBs. Here, a facile and effective strategy of decorating zinc surface with copper alloy layer is developed. The copper alloy layer can act as a nucleating agent and mitigate Zn dendritic growth by guiding uniform Zn deposition. Symmetrical cells assembled with CuxZny coated Zn (denoted as Zn@CuxZny) electrode can achieve stable cycling for 500 h with a low voltage hysteresis (23 mV) at 1 mA/cm2, compared to bare Zn cell with less than 100 h. The superiority of the prepared anode can also be confirmed by the repeated plating/stripping tests at current density of 0.25, 0.5 and 2 mA/cm2, respectively. More impressively, when paired with a CNT/MnO2 cathode, the full cell with Zn@CuxZny anode can maintains a more than twice the discharge capacity after 1000 cycles than that of the full cell with bare Zn anode (144 vs 57 mAh/g at 1 A/g). This strategy is scalable, versatile and cost-effective for fabricating a broad range of zinc metal anodes.