Search

In recent years, solid-state Li metal batteries (SSLBs) have attracted significant attention as the next-generation batteries with high energy and power densities. However, uncontrolled dendrite growth and the resulting pulverization of Li during repeated plating/stripping processes must be addressed for practical applications. Herein, we report a plastic-crystal-based polymer/ceramic composite solid electrolyte (PCCE) to resolve these issues. To fabricate the one-side ceramic-incorporated PCCE (CI-PCCE) film, a mixed precursor solution comprising plastic-crystal-based polymer (succinonitrile, SN) with garnet-structured ceramic (Li7La3Zr2O12, LLZO) particles was infused into a thin cellulose membrane, which was used as a mechanical framework, and subsequently solidified by using UV-irradiation. The CI-PCCE exhibited good flexibility and a high room-temperature ionic conductivity of over 10−3 S cm−1. The Li symmetric cell assembled with CI-PCCE provided enhanced durability against Li dendrite penetration through the solid electrolyte (SE) layer than those with LLZO-free PCCEs and exhibited long-term cycling stability (over 200 h) for Li plating/stripping. The enhanced Li+ transference number and lower interfacial resistance of CI-PCCE indicate that the ceramic-polymer composite layer in contact with the Li anode enabled the uniform distribution of Li+ flux at the interface between the Li metal and CI-PCCE, thereby promoting uniform Li plating/stripping. Consequently, the Li//LiFePO4 (LFP) full cell constructed with CI-PCCE demonstrated superior rate capability (~120 mAh g−1 at 2 C) and stable cycle performance (80% after 100 cycles) than those with ceramic-free PCCE.

The demand for fast-charging lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with long cycle life is growing rapidly due to the increasing use of electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems (ESSs). Meeting this demand requires the development of advanced anode materials with improved rate capabilities and cycling stability. Graphite is a widely used anode material for LIBs due to its stable cycling performance and high reversibility. However, the sluggish kinetics and lithium plating on the graphite anode during high-rate charging conditions hinder the development of fast-charging LIBs. In this work, we report on a facile hydrothermal method to achieve three-dimensional (3D) flower-like MoS2 nanosheets grown on the surface of graphite as anode materials with high capacity and high power for LIBs. The composite of artificial graphite decorated with varying amounts of MoS2 nanosheets, denoted as MoS2@AG composites, deliver excellent rate performance and cycling stability. The 20−MoS2@AG composite exhibits high reversible cycle stability (~463 mAh g−1 at 200 mA g−1 after 100 cycles), excellent rate capability, and a stable cycle life at the high current density of 1200 mA g−1 over 300 cycles. We demonstrate that the MoS2-nanosheets-decorated graphite composites synthesized via a simple method have significant potential for the development of fast-charging LIBs with improved rate capabilities and interfacial kinetics.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) offer a fundamental solution to mitigate the safety and reliability issues of conventional lithium-ion batteries utilizing flammable liquid electrolytes, and enable the bipolar configuration of high-voltage and high-energy storage systems. However, the conventional layer-by-layer (LbL) stacking process using individual electrolyte and electrode layers suffers from poor electrolyte–electrode contacts and challenging process complications for manufacturing multi-layer bipolar SSBs. Herein, we report an electrode-to-electrode (EtE) monolithic integration without a free-standing solid electrolyte layer for high-voltage bipolar SSBs. Positive and negative electrodes seamlessly combined with a thin solid electrolyte are fabricated by the infusion of a plastic-crystal-based polymer electrolyte (PCPE) into porous electrodes with a subsequent ultraviolet-induced solidification process. The infused PCPE in the electrodes forms continuous Li+ conduction channels as well as intimate solid–solid interfaces. The thin PCPE film (∼10 μm) formed in situ on the top of the electrodes during the infusion process provides ultra-high Li+ conductance (∼3.1 S cm−2 at 45 oC) between the two electrodes. SSBs are constructed via direct integration of the PCPE-infused electrodes: a unit cell-type SSB with LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 (positive) and Li4Ti5O12 (negative) show superior capacity (∼160 mAh g−1), rate capability (98 mAh g−1 at 2 C), and stable cyclability (81% after 100 cycles) at 45 oC than the SSB fabricated by the conventional LbL stacking process. Moreover, a 10 V-class, bipolar SSB comprising five unit cells stacked in series is constructed via the EtE monolithic integration of multiple PCPE-infused bipolar electrodes, and its stable cycle performance is corroborated with a capacity retention of 84%. This work demonstrates that the suggested EtE integration process offers a promising strategy to addressing the interfacial contact issues of SSBs, thereby being utilized to realize scalable, low-cost, high-voltage bipolar SSBs.

A trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary mannan level and β-mannanase supplementation on egg production performance, nutrient retention and blood metabolites of laying hens. Two hundred and forty Hy-Line Brown layers (52 wk-old) were randomly allotted to 6 treatments on the basis of laying performance. Each treatment had 8 replicates with 5 birds (40 birds per treatment). Laying hens were fed low or high mannan diets containing 0, 0.4 or 0.8 g β-mannanase/kg diet in a 2×3 factorial arrangement during 56 d feeding period. Laying hens fed diets supplemented with high β-mannanase level had greater (P

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) offer a promising technical solution to meet the key requirements of future energy storage systems, i.e., safety and high energy density. However, the realization of SSBs is hindered by low electrode performance that results from poorly controlled solid-solid contacts. Herein, we propose an effective strategy for tailoring conductive networks and reaction interfaces via the viscosity-controlled infusion of a molten-state polymer electrolyte precursor (polymer ionic conductor, PIC) into a porous composite electrode (CE). A poly(ethylene glycol)-based PIC penetrates a three-dimensional pore network of the CE and transforms to a highly viscous, stable phase under battery operating conditions. The infused PIC enables the formation of percolating Li+ conduction pathways as well as intimate solid-solid reaction interfaces, which leads to the full utilization of the CE at high mass loadings. SSBs assembled with PIC-infused LiFePO4-CEs exhibit superior capacity (154 mAh g−1), rate-capability, and cycling stability than SSBs with unmodified CEs. Moreover, a 10 V-class, bipolar-pouch SSB fabricated using the PIC-infusion technology shows reversible charge–discharge operations without a considerable performance loss. This study demonstrates that the proposed microstructural engineering provides an effective approach to resolving the interfacial solid-solid contact issues of SSBs and can be used to fabricate safe, high-energy, long-cycling SSBs.

N-doped mesoporous carbon decorated TiO2 nanofibers were synthesized for the first time by a facile electrospinning process combined with subsequent heat treatment and investigated as an anode material for lithium-ion battery applications. The N-doped mesoporous carbon decorated TiO2 nanofibers had continuous one-dimensional (1-D) geometry with a smooth surface and an average thickness of ∼250 nm. The nanofibers comprised both interconnected polycrystalline TiO2 and numerous mesopores in N-doped carbon. After 100 cycles at current density of 33 mA/g, the N-doped mesoporous carbon decorated TiO2 nanofibers still exhibited a high capacity of 264 mAh/g. This superior electrochemical performance is attributed to small TiO2 crystallites, N-doped mesoporous carbon, favorable 1-D nanostructures, and smooth accommodation of the strain occurring during the charge–discharge process.

New porous separators based on non-polyolefin materials including the blend of poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC)/poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (P(VdF-co-HFP)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and the porous separator based on poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVdF) were prepared by phase inversion method. The porosity and morphology were controlled with phase inversion rate, which is governed by the relative content of non-solvent and solvent in coagulation bath. To enhance tensile strength, the solvent pre-evaporation and uni-axial stretching processes were applied. The ionic conductivity was increased with increasing stretching ratio, and tensile strength was increased with increasing solvent pre-evaporation time and stretching ratio. The 200% stretched PVdF separator showed 56 MPa of tensile strength, and the ionic conductivity of the stretched PVdF separator was .