Themed collection Battery development over the last decade

With the rapid propagation of flexible electronic devices, flexible lithium-ion batteries are emerging as the most promising energy supplier among all of the energy storage devices due to high energy and power densities with good cycling stability.

It is crucial to design new innovative materials to boost the performance of Li-ion batteries.

This comprehensive review focuses on the progress, prospects and challenges of the high and intermediate NaS secondary batteries (HT and IT NaS) as a whole.

Lithium-ion batteries, carbon anode, lithium plating, characterization techniques, sluggish intercalation kinetics.

Na₃MnCO₃PO₄ offers a specific capacity of 176.7 mA h g⁻¹, reaching 92.5% of its theoretical if electronic conductivity is sufficient.

We present the useful processes in the research of functional electrolytes for interfacial stability of high-voltage cathodes in Li-ion batteries.

The success of lithium-ion batteries in small-scale applications translates to large-scale applications, with an important impact in the future of the environment by improving energy efficiency and reduction of pollution.

The characteristics, performance and potential of poly(vinylidene fluoride), PVDF, and its copolymers for application as battery separator membranes are reviewed.

Redox flow batteries, which have been developed over the last 40 years, are used to store energy on the medium to large scale, particularly in applications such as load levelling, power quality control and facilitating renewable energy deployment.

Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) have attracted ever-increasing attention in Li-ion batteries, due to their great thermal stability and excellent electrochemical performance.

Polybromides formation in aqueous bromine electrolytes and influence on H₂/Br₂ redox flow battery performance is investigated the first time.

The effects of substituent groups of TEMPO-based catholytes and supporting electrolytes on electrochemical properties, solubility and battery performance were examined systematically for aqueous redox flow batteries.

Here we present novel (Mg_0.2Ti_0.2Zn_0.2Cu_0.2Fe_0.2)₃O₄ materials prepared via one-step solid state reaction method and subsequently high-energy ball-milling. When used as anodes for LIBs, it exhibits superior lithium storage properties.

Low-surface-area carbon black helps to improve the performance of bulk-type all-solid-state batteries using NCM622 cathode material and argyrodite Li₆PS₅Cl solid electrolyte.

The zinc ion batteries with KCR electrolyte show a high specific capacity and fast charging and discharging capability.

The silver/silver chloride conversion reaction allows for a high desalination capacity of saline media with high molar strength.

Room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) are solvent-free liquids comprised of densely packed cations and anions. Properties of Py13Cl–AlCl₃ ILs were studied and compared with EMIC-AlCl₃ ILs for use as electrolyte in Al–graphite battery.

Synthesis of a 3D Zn@CFs anode through constant voltage electrodeposition to realize a dendrite-free cycling performance in an aqueous Zn/MnO₂ battery.

A flexible SiO₂ porous fiber membrane (SF) is prepared by electrospinning followed by calcination in this work.

Hard-carbon is considered as one of the most promising anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs).

In this article, we try to answer the fundamental question in Na-ion batteries using DFT calculations: why is sodium-intercalated graphite unstable?

The cyclability of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is often affected by the components of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer which is generated from electrochemical decomposition of electrolyte.

This paper illustrates a simpler method for the preparation of gel polymer electrolytes.

A simple template-free hydrothermal method has been developed to prepare multi-shelled SnO₂ hollow spheres with controlled interior texture.

The metallicity, high capacities, fast diffusion and low average intercalation potentials make Nb₂C monolayer a promising LIBs/NLIBs anode.

First-principles calculations indicate that a novel atomic hollow structure of graphyne and graphdiyne made up of sp- and sp²-hybridized carbon atoms reinforces not only the Na storage capacity but also the Na diffusion.

Destructive thermal ramp experiments with commercial Li-ion batteries at different state of charge were made. Produced gases were quantified and a causing chemical reaction system is proposed.

In this work we demonstrate the full thermal-runaway characteristics of three types of commercially available 18650 Li-ion batteries.

Fe₃O₄/graphene-nanosheets with Fe–O–C bond link between Fe₃O₄ and graphene possesses durable high-rate performance: the reversible capacity attains 550 mAhg⁻¹ at 1 Ag⁻¹, and retention is 97 % after 300 cycles.