Themed collection International Year of the Periodic Table: Elements for Next Generation Batteries

This review summarizes the advances in the derivation of one-dimensional porous and hollow carbon nanofibers from metal–organic frameworks for energy storage and conversion.

Exploring application 2D materials to enhance the electrochemical performance of lithium–sulfur batteries became an important strategy in the past decade.

In this review, we report the recent research progress in the area of design and synthesis of tin sulfide and selenide (SnS, SnS₂, SnSe, and SnSe₂) based anode materials for Li-ion batteries and Na-ion batteries.

In this review, we mainly overview the structures, synthesis methods and the morphology control of vanadium-based electrode materials for sodium ion batteries. In addition, the major issues, emerging challenges and some perspectives on the development of V based electrode materials for sodium ion batteries are also discussed.

The recent progress and major challenges/opportunities of MOF-derived hollow materials for energy storage are summarized in this review, particularly for lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, lithium–Se batteries, lithium–sulfur batteries and supercapacitor applications.

Two-dimensional (2D) nanostructures including 2D materials and composites containing 2D supports and active materials as sodium-ion battery anodes are reviewed.

In this review, we first summarize the recent progress in MoS₂/TiO₂-based nanomaterials for applications in photocatalysis and rechargeable batteries.

Expanded interlayer spacing and additionally exposed edges induced by defects of MoS₂ enable facile K-intercalation, rapid K-transport and promoted K-adsorption.

Fully integrated hierarchical double-shelled Co₉S₈@CNTs have been developed as a highly efficient sulfur cathode.

Lithium–sulfur batteries (Li–S) are considered the most promising systems for next-generation energy storage devices due to their high theoretical energy density and relatively low cost.

A surface confined Ti³⁺/Ti⁴⁺ redox couple on black TiO₂ enables fast ion diffusion kinetics and provides an unprecedented rate capability.

The high pseudocapacitance contribution in boron-doped graphite sheets for anion storage is demonstrated, and then utilized to fabricate Na-ion hybrid capacitors.

The insertion of Li-ions within cathode materials during the discharging of a battery oftentimes brings about one or more structural transformations. Distinct core–shell separation and striping of Li-rich and Li-poor domains are observed upon lithiation of nanowires of V₂O₅.

Polyoligomeric silsesquioxanes with eight (LiNSO₂CF₃) groups can be dissolved at very high loadings into tetraglyme, forming solvent-in-salt electrolytes, and stable colloids with increasing amount of tetraglyme. Li⁺ ions can migrate by diffusive or coordinated hopping motions. High t_Li⁺ and conductivities are obtained.

This work demonstrates a controllable strategy for designing bicontinuous composite electrolytes.

The novel 3D carbon framework confined Sb nanoparticle anode exhibits both high capacity and cycling stability.

This carbon-free cathode fabricated by combining electrodeposition and photoreduction has promoted the formation of film-like Li₂O₂ and exhibits excellent electrochemical performances.

Ultrathin ZnGe₂O₄ NSs are fabricated on a nickel foam via a CTAB-assisted hydrothermal process.

A series of uniform carbon-confined metal oxide nanodots on graphene were synthesized using a nicely-designed process, which displayed stable and ultrafast lithium storage.

Porous “dual-network” N–carbon aerogel anchored FeCo particles are developed as an effective bifunctional electrocatalyst through a novel composite hydrogel strategy.

Hollow SnO₂ nanospheres with oxygen vacancies simultaneously wrapped by a nitrogen-doped graphene network (SnO_2−x/N-rGO) improve the electrochemical performance of LIBs.

Facile synthesis of Co–N-doped hollow carbon spheres for rechargeable zinc–air batteries and the effect of their Co doping contents on ORR performance.

A novel pie-like FeS@C nanohybrid has been prepared, which exhibits pseudocapacitance-prompted ultrafast Na storage and superior Na-ion full-cell performance.

A series of CoSnO₃–NC nanobox materials with controllable carbon content were acquired by the in situ carbonization of CoSnO₃–MOFs, showing a controllable N-rich carbon content range from 7.5% to 24.6%.

Oxygen-deficient anatase TiO₂@C nanospindles are realised via the hydrogenation and carbon coating of TiO₂ nanospindles. The produced electrodes exhibit an enhanced electrochemical performance for Li storage.

Cu-MOF with the dual functional binding sites is a very powerful MOF host for the inclusion of sulfur and polysulfides, demonstrating the best performance among all reported S@MOF composite cathode materials so far.

N–Co₃O₄@N–C nanododecahedra combine the advantages of strong affinity for polysulfides and excellent electronic conductivity.

We report a facile and low-cost bottom-up synthesis of ultrathin Zn(bim)(OAc) MOF nanosheets (with thicknesses of ∼5 nm and a high yield of ∼65%) and their derived N-doped porous ultrathin (2.5 ± 0.8 nm) carbon nanosheets (UT-CNSs) for energy storage.

High performance battery behaviour (left panel) of mesoporous layered hexagonal platelets (middle panel) composed of highly crystalline Co₃O₄ nanoparticles with (111) facets (right panel) in an aqueous electrolyte of 2 M KOH.

3D interconnected porous carbon nanosheets/carbon nanotubes as the host for lithium–sulfur batteries are synthesized via a simple one-pot pyrolysis strategy.

A designed hierarchical nanostructure consisting of SnS nanosheets and ultrathin MoS₂ nanosheets was achieved, and then evaluated as anode material for LIBs with high capacity and long cycle life.

3d transition metals or their derivatives encapsulated in nitrogen-doped nanocarbon show promising potential in non-precious metal oxygen electrocatalysts.