Cathode For Aluminum-ion Batteries Research Articles

Methyl-Symmetrically Substituted Poly(3,4-Dimethylthiophene) as Cathode for Aluminum Ion Batteries.

The aggravation of energy problems and the scarcity of lithium resources have forced us to look for new energy storage systems. Aluminum ion batteries, as a promising energy storage system, have the advantages of environmental friendliness and abundant aluminum resources, and have the potential for application in large-scale energy storage and personal portable electronic devices. To solve the stability problem of aluminum ion batteries during cycling for large-scale energy storage needs, we report a polythiophene-based conductive polymer, poly(3,4-dimethylthiophene) (PDMT), as a high performance cathode material for aluminum ion batteries. By introducing two methyl groups on the thiophene ring, we successfully adjust the local charge density of the heterocyclic thiophene, thus changing the electron delocalization characteristics, and improving the electrochemical reaction activity of the polythiophene (PTH) material as a redox electrode material. This also maintains the symmetry and regularity of the polymer structure, giving the material better cycling stability. The discharge specific capacity reaches 110 mAh g-1 at a current density of 200 mA g-1, far exceeding conventional PTH cathodes (~70 mAh g-1), and the capacity retention rate is 92.7 % after 1000 cycles. It also shows excellent rate performance due to the flexible structure of the conductive polymer.

High-performance MnSe2–MnSe heterojunction hollow sphere for aluminum ion battery

With its consistent thermal runaway temperature and superior capacity, aluminum ion batteries have emerged as a key area for battery development. At the moment, electrode material is the main focus of aluminum ion battery capacity enhancement. Selenide is anticipated to develop into a high-performance cathode for aluminum ion batteries, since it is a type of high energy density electrode material. However, because selenide is soluble in acid electrolytes, Al-Se batteries have low cycle performance and cannot keep up with the present demand for electronic gadgets. Here, homogeneous-structured precursors were created via a hydrothermal reaction, and MnSe2–MnSe heterojunction hollow spheres were created a step further via temperature control of the selenidation reaction. With 103.76 mAh/g of specific capacity remaining after 3000 cycles at 1.0 A/g, this novel heterojunction material exhibits astounding cycle stability. After additional investigation, it was shown that the MnSe2–MnSe heterojunction may prevent the dispersion of the active substances, significantly enhancing the cycle performance. The density of states (DOS) of electrode materials demonstrates the superior electronic conductivity of this heterojunction material. Meanwhile, it was computationally demonstrated that the MnSe2–MnSe heterojunction has a strong adsorption energy for AlCl4−, thus accelerating the reaction kinetics. In summary, the performance of selenides has been improved by this novel heterojunction material, which also makes for a superior cathode material.

Stable WS2/WO3 Composites as High-Performance Cathode for Rechargeable Aluminum-Ion Batteries

Aluminum-ion batteries have become a promising energy storage device due to their low cost, large volume specific capacity, and environmental friendliness. Due to the poor reversibility and conductivity of traditional electrode materials, the development of aluminum-ion batteries has been greatly hindered. In this paper, a new stable WS2/WO3 cathode for aluminum-ion batteries was prepared by the coprecipitation method. The introduction of the WS2/WO3 heterojunction greatly enhances the electron transfer rate between the material interfaces, and the large specific surface area of the material also provides more active sites for the electrochemical reaction. The WS2/WO3 cathode retained a high specific capacity of 200 mAh/g with a capacity retention of 80% at 1000 mA/g after 100 cycles.

Few-Layered Res2@Cnts as a High-Performance Cathode for Aluminum-Ion Batteries

Few-Layered Res2@Cnts as a High-Performance Cathode for Aluminum-Ion Batteries

Hierarchical Flower-Like MoS2 Microspheres and Their Efficient Al Storage Properties

In this work, hierarchical flower-like MoS2 microspheres synthesized through a facile hydrothermal approach are used as a cathode for aluminum-ion batteries. They exhibit an initial specific discharge capacity of 153.6 mAh g–1 at a current density of 50 mA g–1 and deliver a stable capacity of 112.2 mAh g–1 with a Coulombic efficiency of 92.4% over 100 cycles on account of the unique hierarchical structure, which provides abundant space for aluminum storage. Moreover, the characterization results confirm that Al3+ ions can be intercalated into the MoS2 phase to form AlxMoS2 during the discharge process. The density functional theory calculation results indicate that the structure of MoS2 can be stabilized during the intercalation/deintercalation process.

Nickel Phosphide Nanosheets Supported on Reduced Graphene Oxide for Enhanced Aluminum-Ion Batteries

The electrochemical behavior of nickel phosphide nanosheets supported on reduced graphene oxide is first explored as cathode material for aluminum-ion batteries. Ni2P/rGO nanosheets are prepared through a hydrothermal method combined with a subsequent phosphorization process. Ni2P/rGO nanosheets deliver a high first discharge capacity of 274.5 mAh g–1 at 100 mA g–1, which remain at 73.0 mAh g–1 with a Coulombic efficiency of 93.5% after 500 cycles. And even at a higher current density of 200 mA g–1, the cathode still presents the favorable discharge capacity of 60.9 mAh g–1 and Coulombic efficiency of 94.5% over 3000 cycles. The higher discharge capacity and better cycling stability in comparison with these of the pure Ni2P verify that compositing reduced graphene oxide is an effective strategy to enhance the capacity and cycling stability of Ni2P for aluminum-ion batteries. Furthermore, the energy storage mechanism of Ni2P as cathode for aluminum-ion batteries is rigorously investigated, showing that the...

Preparation and in-situ Raman characterization of binder-free u-GF@CFC cathode for rechargeable aluminum-ion battery

We provide a method for preparation of binder-free cathode for rechargeable aluminum-ion batteries (AIBs). Ultrasonicated natural graphite (u-NG) flakes in N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) is drop-casted to a carbon fiber cloth (CFC) to obtain binder-free u-GF@CFC cathode for AIBs. We also provide an in-situ Raman spectral technology and the corresponding in-situ Raman cell to determine the mechanism of intercalation/deintercalation reactions of the chloroaluminate ions at cathode of AIBs. The in-situ Raman spectra are recorded using a Raman spectrometer combined with a potentiostat/galvanostat model electrochemical workstation.•A simple preparation method of a binder-free u-GF@CFC cathode is suggested.•The u-GF@CFC cathode is obtained by drop-casting ultrasonicated graphite flakes on the surface and internal gaps of the carbon fiber cloth.•The method includes the in-situ Raman spectral technology and the corresponding in-situ Raman cell.

Flower-like Vanadium Suflide/Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite: An Energy Storage Material for Aluminum-Ion Batteries.

A flower-like vanadium sulfide/reduced graphene oxide (VS4 /rGO) composite was prepared by a typical hydrothermal method and it was investigated as cathode for aluminum-ion batteries with non-inflammable and non-explosive ionic-liquid electrolytes. The charge/discharge performance measurements were performed in a voltage range of 0.1-2.0 V versus Al/AlCl4- , which gave an initial charge/discharge specific capacity af approximately 491.57 and 406.94 mA h g-1 , respectively, at a current density of 100 mA g-1 . Additionally, in the cycling performance, the discharge capacity was observed to remain over 80, 70, and 60 mA h g-1 at current densities of 100, 200, and 300 mA g-1 after 100 cycles, respectively. The result of a coulombic efficiency over 90 % after 100 cycles and high retained capacity indicate that the composite is a favorable cathode material for new rechargeable aluminum-ion batteries.

An amorphous carbon-graphite composite cathode for long cycle life rechargeable aluminum ion batteries

Natural graphite is investigated as the cathode for aluminum ion batteries in recent years. However, some drawbacks of the natural graphite such as severe volume swelling shorten its lifetime. In this work, we prepared a composite material by depositing an amorphous carbon on the graphite paper. The composite was used as a cathode to study the electrochemical performance in aluminum ion batteries. The charge/discharge results showed that the composite could exhibit a longer cycle life than the graphite paper. Electrochemical analyses demonstrated that the interface between the amorphous carbon and the graphite paper made a major contribution to the improvement of the cycling stability.