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Rechargeable calcium batteries have attracted increasing attention as promising multivalent ion battery systems due to the high abundance of calcium. However, the development has been hampered by the lack of suitable cathodes to accommodate the large and divalent Ca2+ ions at a high redox potential with sufficiently fast ionic conduction. Herein, we report a new intercalation host which presents 500 cycles with a capacity retention of 90% and a remarkable power capability at ~3.2 V (vs. Ca/Ca2+) in a calcium battery. The cathode material derived from Na0.5VPO4.8F0.7 is demonstrated to reversibly accommodate a large amount of Ca2+ ions, forming a series of CaxNa0.5VPO4.8F0.7 (0, Rechargeable calcium batteries are promising multivalent battery systems but the lack of suitable electrodes hampers their development. Here the authors report a cathode derived from polyanion framework that demonstrates uncommonly stable and fast intercalation behaviours of calcium ions.

Magnesium (Mg) rechargeable batteries are one of the promising high-energy post-lithium battery chemistries exploiting the multivalent charge carrier. However, the use of magnesium metal has been c...

The electrochemical properties and performances of lithium-ion batteries are primarily governed by their constituent electrode materials, whose intrinsic thermodynamic and kinetic properties are understood as the determining factor. As a part of complementing the intrinsic material properties, the strategy of nanosizing has been widely applied to electrodes to improve battery performance. It has been revealed that this not only improves the kinetics of the electrode materials but is also capable of regulating their thermodynamic properties, taking advantage of nanoscale phenomena regarding the changes in redox potential, solid-state solubility of the intercalation compounds, and reaction paths. In addition, the nanosizing of materials has recently enabled the discovery of new energy storage mechanisms, through which unexplored classes of electrodes could be introduced. Herein, we review the nanoscale phenomena discovered or exploited in lithium-ion battery chemistry thus far and discuss their potential implications, providing opportunities to further unveil uncharted electrode materials and chemistries. Finally, we discuss the limitations of the nanoscale phenomena presently employed in battery applications and suggest strategies to overcome these limitations.

Author(s): Xu, ZL; Park, J; Yoon, G; Kim, H; Kang, K | Abstract: Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have dominated the energy storage market for more than two decades; however, the quest for lower-cost battery alternatives is rapidly expanding, especially for large-scale applications. Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have recently experienced an impressive resurgence owing to the earth's abundance of sodium resources and the similar electrochemistry of SIBs and the well-established LIBs. Nonetheless, whereas cost-effective and reliable graphite anodes have served as a cornerstone in current LIB technology, one of the major limitations of SIBs has been the inability to exploit graphite as an electrode because of its negligible sodium storage capability. Recently, however, clear progress has been made in preparing high-performance graphitic carbon anodes for SIBs with new findings on the mechanisms of sodium storage. Herein, this paper aims to review the progress made in understanding the sodium storage mechanisms in graphitic carbon materials and comprehensively summarize the start-of-the-art achievements by surveying the correlations among the type of graphitic material, microstructure, sodium storage mechanisms, and electrochemical performance in SIBs. In addition, perspectives related to practical applications, including the electrolyte, coulombic efficiency, and applicability in sodium-ion full cells, are also presented.