Themed collection Horizons Community Board Collection – Advanced Energy Storage Technologies

A themed collection on progress and development in advance energy storage technologies, guest edited by Materials Horizons Community Board members Vipin Kumar and Kai Zhang.

Strategies that could be used to develop non-precious-metal based catalysts towards the OER/ORR in alkaline electrolyte based zinc–air systems are briefly reviewed.

Hybrid sodium–air battery (HSAB) principles are introduced, and the synthesis and rational designs of electrocatalysts based on the oxygen reduction reaction/oxygen evolution reaction are comprehensively reviewed for the purpose of providing insight into the development of efficient air electrodes. Furthermore, research directions of anodes, electrolytes, and air electrodes toward high-performance HSABs are proposed.

Advances in sur-/interfacial regulation in all-solid-state rechargeable Li-ion batteries based on inorganic solid-state electrolytes are reviewed and promising perspectives are proposed.

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

This work confirm that strong electronic interactions exists between Li-ion intercalation-based electrodes and 3D carbon-based current collectors, allowing shift in the p-adsorption energy level towards enhanced Li-ion storage performance.

A U-Co₂P@rGO-14 nanocomposite has been successfully prepared as a novel anode material for PIBs with an extremely long lifespan.

Our synthesized ball-cutting Na-FeHCF nanocubes by controlling the stirring speed as a cathode material for ammonium ion storage exhibit high capacity, excellent rate capability, and unparalleled cycling stability.

In-plane asymmetric micro-supercapacitors with ultrahigh energy density are rationally constructed using nano-sandwiched metal hexacyanoferrate/graphene hybrid thin films.

3D pomegranate-like TiN@graphene composites as novel sulfur host materials can effectively improve the electrochemical properties of Li–S systems.

Black phosphorus sponges comprising ultrathin, large and unoxidized nanosheets are prepared and used for an all-solid-state supercapacitor.

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.

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.

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

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.

Quasi-solid-state micro-supercapacitors with cellular graphene film as the active material and polyvinyl alcohol/H₃PO₄ as the gel electrolyte have been fabricated. The 3D porous graphene films not only serve as high performance supercapacitor electrodes, but also provide an abundant ion reservoir for the gel electrolyte.

P3-type K_0.33Co_0.53Mn_0.47O₂·0.39H₂O is synthesized through an easily-operated sol–gel method and it delivers considerable Na ion storage abilities either as a cathode or an anode.

Amine-capped aniline trimer (ACAT) with a strong interaction with polysulfides (LiPS) facilitates the formation of bulky ACAT–LiPS complexes, which are then size-selectively sieved and stabilized within the cathode in lithium–sulfur batteries.

Based on electrochemically stable Ag–Ni and Ag–Fe core–shell nanowire networks, a transparent and stretchable asymmetric supercapacitor was demonstrated.

Highly flexible tandem cathodes with a high sulfur loading achieve foldable lithium–sulfur batteries with a high areal capacity.