High-performance Lithium-ion Capacitors Research Articles

All-in-All: Dead Lithium-ion battery to active Lithium-ion Capacitor.

Here, we have developed lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) with all the components, except the electrolyte solution, effectively recycled from the spent Lithium-ion batteries. Hybrid capacitors, such as LICs, are potential breakthroughs in electrochemical energy storage devices, where most research is focused. These devices can simultaneously guarantee high energy and power by hybridizing battery-type and capacitive-type electrodes. We have successfully upcycled the graphite, current collector, separator, etc., from the spent LIBs to fabricate a high-performance LIC. Our LIC consists of recovered graphite (RG) coated over recovered copper foil as an anode, recycled polypropylene as the separator, and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) synthesized from RG as the cathode. The RG half-cell exhibited an specific capacity of 302 mAh/geven after 75 charge-discharge cycles with a coulombic efficiency of >99%. The Li/rGO displayed remarkable cycling performance for over 1000 cycles with high stability and reversibility. Subsequently, the pre-lithiated RG (p-RG) electrode is paired with the rGO electrode under the balanced loading conditions to construct LIC, rGO/p-RG, delivering a maximum energy density of 185 Wh/kgwith ultra-long durability of more than 10,000 cycles. The possibility of LIC under different climatic conditions is also explored, and its remarkable performance under various temperature conditions is worth mentioning.

Coupling effect of defects and enriched adsorption sites in bimetal-MOF derived porous carbonaceous anode for high-performance lithium-ion capacitor

Lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) have attracted considerable attention for their ability to combine the high energy characteristics of lithium-ion batteries and the high power densities of supercapacitors. However, the development of LICs still faces critical challenges. Herein, a robust bimetal-MOF derived fluorine and nitrogen co-doped hierarchical porous carbon embedding with Co nanoparticles anode materials (Co@NFC-800) for LICs are developed, which combined with the advantages of amplified interlayer, enriched active sites and improved electrical conductivity. Both theoretically and experimentally results demonstrate that such advantaged structure via fluorine doping to introduce defects and regulate doped nitrogen atom configuration to enrich Li+ adsorption sites and enhance diffusion kinetics synergistically is attempted. Co@NFC-800 deliveres a high reversible capacity and excellent long cycling stability as anode in LIBs, By coupling the Co@NFC-800 anode with commercial activated carbon (AC) cathode, the assembled LICs deliver a high specific energy of 164 Wh kg−1 at 162.9 W kg−1 and maintained to 68.3 Wh kg−1 even at high specific power of 9.1 kW kg−1 as well as long cycling stability (80.2 % over 2000 cycles).The fluorine doping induced both enriched defects and regulable nitrogen atom configuration strategy opens up a new way of carboneous materials for lithium storage.

Interface engineering to construct heterostructured SnS2/Sb2S3 on rGO through a targeted-complexation deposition strategy for high-performance lithium-ion capacitors

Accurate synthesis of electrode materials with homogeneous heterostructure is an important approach to eliminate the energy storage dynamics discrepancy between the anode and cathode of lithium-ion capacitors (LICs). However, the complex synergistic effects between two electrodes is yet to materialize due to the lack of effective approach. Herein, a targeted-complexation deposition strategy is proposed to prepare uniform SnS2/Sb2S3 heterostructure attached to reduced graphene oxide (rGO) (SnS2/Sb2S3@rGO) with the aid of L-cysteine. The strong complexation between L-cysteine and metal ions effectively suppresses the hydrolysis reaction of Sb3+ ion and guides the uniform deposition of SnS2/Sb2S3 heterostructures on rGO. Due to the charge redistribution and mutual-support effect, the lithium storage properties of SnS2/Sb2S3@rGO can be integrated and greatly enhanced. Furthermore, a three-dimensional conductive network consisting of polyaniline and rGO heterostructure is synthesized by a self-assembly strategy, which is able to deliver a superior capacity of 178.6 mA h g−1 as well as outstanding rate property as a cathode. The LICs assembled with heterogeneous cathode and anode materials demonstrates an exceptional energy density (reaching 298 W h kg−1), impressive power density (58.5 kW kg−1) and remarkable capacity maintenance (78 %) even over 6000 cycles, providing a valuable guide for producing the high-performance LICs.

The total use of rice husk to create highly porous silicon and sulfur-doped activated carbon for the fabrication of high-performance silicon-anode lithium-ion capacitors

The promising advantages between the high energy density of lithium-ion batteries and the high power density of supercapacitors are hybridized to construct lithium-ion capacitors (LICs). The high capacity of anode materials is challenging for high-performance LICs. Simultaneously, the quest for sustainable and environmentally friendly energy storage materials has attracted attention. In this work, rice husk was treated with alkaline to separate silica and biochar, followed by magnesiothermic reduction and thermal activation to produce porous silicon (PSi) and sulfur-doped activated carbon (SAC), respectively. The PSi had high porosity for accommodating volumetric expansion during cycling, resulting in outstanding rate capability and cycling stability, whereas the SAC had a high surface area with micro- and mesopores (2511 m2 g−1), a high degree of graphitization, and excellent electrochemical performance. For the fabrication of half-cell lithium-ion batteries, PSi gave a specific capacity of 1005.3 mAh g−1 between 0.01 and 2 V, while SAC provided a specific capacity of 108 mAh g−1 (2.0–4.5 V), and showed a better electrochemical stability than the both commercial silicon and activated carbon. When a full-cell LIC was fabricated, the optimized P-Si//SAC LIC had a high energy density of 107 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 163 W kg−1 and a capacitance retention of 81.3 and 61.8% between a potential range of 2.0–4.5 V after 1000 and 3000 charge-discharge cycles, respectively. This study not only turned agricultural waste into valuable, high-performance LICs but also made significant progress toward the creation of environmentally responsible, long-lasting, and sustainable energy storage systems.

Ordered nanorods assembled MnCO3@reduced graphene oxide anodes for high-performance lithium-ion capacitors: A facile thiourea-assisted reduction approach

MnCO3 materials owing to considerable capacity, good stability and low price, show a great potential in lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) applications. The design and synthesis of MnCO3 with ordered and fine structure regulation are currently challenging issues. A facile thiourea-assisted reduction strategy is established for preparing ordered nanorods assembled MnCO3 wrapped by reduced graphene oxide (MnCO3@rGO). This composite exhibits a multi-channel charge transfer model within the oriented structure and high connectivity of conductive graphene oxide network. Based on the unique structure, the MnCO3@rGO anode shows a high capacity of 1885 mA h g−1 at 0.2 A g−1, vibrant rate performance (383 mA h g−1 at 10 A g−1) as well as sturdy cycle. Moreover, the assembled LICs with the MnCO3@rGO displays an excellent energy density of 204 W h kg−1, high power density of 30 kW kg−1, and robust capacity retention of 78% after 10000 cycles. Additionally, the corresponding flexible device holds a stable energy supply under different bending conditions. This work provides a promising approach for the preparation of high-performance metal carbonates-based materials with fine micro/nano structure.

CO2-derived nitrogen doped porous carbon as advanced anodes for lithium-ion capacitors

Porous carbon is considered one of the most promising anode materials for lithium-ion capacitors due to its high ionic and electronic conductivity, high lithium storage capacitance and high chemical stability. However, the green and low-carbon preparation is a great challenge for the current porous carbon, especially for heteroatoms doped porous carbon. Herein, we report a low-carbon and environmentally friendly method to prepare N-doped porous carbon by the novel reaction of greenhouse gas CO2 with 5LiH-LiNH2. N-doped porous carbon delivers a reversible lithium storage capacity of 904 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1, When paired with commercial activated carbon, the as-assembled lithium-ion capacitors provide a high energy density of 112 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 198.6 W kg−1 with a capacitance retention of 72% at 1.0 A g−1 after 6000 cycles. This work provides a green and low-carbon strategy for converting greenhouse gas CO2 into N-doped porous carbon for high-performance lithium-ion capacitors.

Balancing microcrystalline domains in hard carbon with robust kinetics for a 46.7 Wh kg−1 practical lithium-ion capacitor

As a promising electrochemical energy storage system, lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) exhibit alluring theoretical merits of high energy density, high power density and long cycle life. However, most of the LIC cells can hardly surpass the practical energy density threshold of 30 Wh kg−1, which greatly hinders their employments in various energy-oriented fields. Anthracite shows great prospect as low-cost and abundant carbon precursor to prepare anode material with plentiful Li-ion anchoring sites for high performance LICs. In this work, a scalable low-temperature hydrothermal disordering strategy is proposed to achieve balanced structural modification of anthracite into short-ranged turbostratic carbon precursor, which further transforms into microcrystalline hard carbon (MHC) with high electrical conductivity (13065 S m−1) and substantially improved energy storage kinetics. A practical large-capacity LIC pouch cell is fabricated using MHC anode and activated carbon cathode to deliver a maximum gravimetric and volumetric energy density of 46.7 Wh kg−1 and 66.8 Wh/L based on the total weight of cell, outperforming the commercially available LIC products from relevant enterprises. Moreover, the cell reveals an exceptional capacity retention of 94.7 % after 10,000 cycles at high current density. The work herein would emerge as a universal and feasible protocol to fabricate high-end carbon electrode for practical LICs in numerous energy-intensive occasions.

Metal–organic framework-derived CoSe2@N-doped carbon nanocubes for high-performance lithium-ion capacitors

Metal–organic framework-derived CoSe2@N-doped carbon nanocubes for high-performance lithium-ion capacitors

MOF-derived porous graphitic carbon with optimized plateau capacity and rate capability for high performance lithium-ion capacitors

MOF-derived porous graphitic carbon with optimized plateau capacity and rate capability for high performance lithium-ion capacitors

Carbon-reinforced Ni3S2/Ti3C2Tx MXene composite as an anode for superior-performance lithium-ion capacitors

Lithium ion capacitors (LICs) are a new generation of energy storage devices that combine the super energy storage capability of lithium ion batteries with the satisfactory power density of supercapacitors. The development of high-performance LICs still faces great challenges due to the unbalanced reaction kinetics at the anode and cathode. Therefore, it is an inevitable need to enhance the electron/ion transfer capability of the anode materials. In this paper, to obtain a superior-rate and high-capacity Ni3S2-based anode, highly conductive Ti3C2Tx MXene sheets were introduced to sever as the carrier of Ni3S2 nanoparticles and simultaneously an amorphous carbon layer which coats onto the surface of Ni3S2 nanoparticles was in-situ generated by the carbonization of dopamine reactant. The as-synthesized Ni3S2/Ti3C2Tx/C composite exhibits a high specific surface area (112.6 m2/g) because of the addition of Ti3C2Tx that can reduce the aggregation of Ni3S2 nanoparticles and the in-situ generated amorphous carbon layer that can suppress the growth of Ni3S2 nanoparticles. The Ni3S2/Ti3C2Tx/C anode possesses a remarkable reversible discharge specific capacity (626.0 mAh/g under 0.2 A/g current density), which increases to 1150.8 mAh/g after 400-cycle charge/discharge measurement at the same measurement condition indicating eminent cyclability, along with superior rate capability. To construct a superior-performance LIC device, a sterculiae lychnophorae derived porous carbon (SLPC) cathode with an average discharge specific capacity of 73.4 mAh/g@0.1A/g was prepared. The Ni3S2/Ti3C2Tx/C//SLPC LIC device with optimal cathode/anode mass ratio has a satisfactory energy density ranging from 32.8 to 119.1 Wh kg−1 at the corresponding power density of 8799.4 to 157.5 W kg−1, together with a prominent capacity retention (95.5 %@1 A/g after 10,000 cycles).

Niobium boride (NbB2): Salt-templated synthesis, pseudocapacitive electrode and lithium-ion capacitor applications

Lithium-ion capacitors (LICs), which combine great power and energy density, have become promising energy storage and have been well studied recently. Developing novel battery-type anode materials is the key to mitigating the kinetic mismatch between the anode and cathode electrodes. In this paper, niobium diboride (NbB2) nanoparticles are synthesized via a salt-templated method and proposed for the first time as the anodes for LICs. NbB2 is a layered two-dimensional material similar to graphite, which is favorable to the intercalation and deintercalation of Li+. The NbB2 with high conductivity delivers outstanding long cycling stability (254.1 mAh g−1 after 800 cycles at 0.1 A g−1) and great rate capability. Moreover, a high-performance LIC is assembled employing the prepared NbB2 as anode and commercialized activated carbon (AC) as cathode, which can display an energy density of 68.76 Wh kg−1, a power density of 7.02 kW kg−1, and a capacity retention ratio of 98% after 10,000 cycles. The work presents the great potential of transition metal borides as electrode materials and accelerates the development of LICs.

Enhanced energy density and fast-charging ability via directional particle configuration

The limited energy density of lithium-ion capacitors poses a significant obstacle to their widespread application, primarily stemming from the inability of the electrodes to simultaneously fulfill both high energy density and rapid charging requirements. Experimental data demonstrate that a directional particle configuration can enhance charging speed while maintaining high-capacity density, but it is rarely discussed. Here, we have developed a particle-level electrochemical model capable of reconstructing an electrode with a directional particle configuration. By employing this method, an investigation was conducted to explore how the spatial morphology characteristics of particle configuration impact the energy storage characteristics of electrodes. Results demonstrate that rational particle configuration can effectively enhance the transport of lithium ions and create additional space for lithium-ion storage. With the same particle size distribution, the best electrode can increase the discharge capacity by up to 132.4% and increase the charging SOC by 11.3% compared to the ordinary electrode under the condition of 6 C. These findings provide a further understanding of the energy storage mechanism inside the anisotropic particle distribution electrode, which is important for developing high-performance lithium-ion capacitors.

Accelerating ion and charge transfer of hybrid titanium niobium oxides through interface engineering for high-performance lithium ion capacitors

Titanium niobium oxides have garnered significant attention as potential anode materials for lithium ion capacitors (LICs) due to their open ionic channels and high safety. However, the sluggish ion and charge transfer kinetics impede their rate capability. Hereby, we have investigated the phases evolution process of titanium niobium oxides by simple optimizing Nb/Ti ratio in the precursor, leading to the successful construction of hybrid TiO2/TiNb2O7 with active interface. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations manifest the low Li+-diffusion barrier and the formation of built-in electric fields, resulting in the accelerated interfacial charge separation/transfer and Li+ diffusion. In-situ XRD results reveal the highly reversible structural changes of TiO2/TiNb2O7 during charging/discharging process. Accordingly, hybrid TiO2/TiNb2O7 demonstrates much reinforced rate capability, which could retain a specific capacity of 205.1 mAh g−1 at high current density of 10 A g−1 compared to 300.3 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1. Moreover, the assembled TiO2/TiNb2O7//AC LIC displays high energy density of 149.6 W h kg−1 (at 200 W kg−1). Overall, this work emphasizes the critical role of interface engineering in promoting ion and charge transfer of nanomaterials for superior energy storage and beyond.

Lithium-Ion Capacitors: A Review of Strategies toward Enhancing the Performance of the Activated Carbon Cathode

Lithium-ion capacitors (LiC) are promising hybrid devices bridging the gap between batteries and supercapacitors by offering simultaneous high specific power and specific energy. However, an indispensable critical component in LiC is the capacitive cathode for high power. Activated carbon (AC) is typically the cathode material due to its low cost, abundant raw material for production, sustainability, easily tunable properties, and scalability. However, compared to conventional battery-type cathodes, the low capacity of AC remains a limiting factor for improving the specific energy of LiC to match the battery counterparts. This review discusses recent approaches for achieving high-performance LiC, focusing on the AC cathode. The strategies are discussed with respect to active material property modifications, electrodes, electrolytes, and cell design techniques which have improved the AC’s capacity/capacitance, operating potential window, and electrochemical stability. Potential strategies and pathways for improved performance of the AC are pinpointed.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-derived Mn2SnO4@C anode based on dual lithium storage mechanism for high-performance lithium-ion capacitors

Lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) are an emerging energy storage device that combines high energy density with high power density. Tin dioxide (SnO2) is considered a promising anode material due to its high theoretical capacity and low redox potential. However, severe volume expansion limits its practical application. In this study, a rhombic-shaped Mn2SnO4@C composite material with a uniform carbon coating was synthesized through pyrolysis of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and employed as an anode material for LIC. The material exhibited a dual lithium storage mechanism through alloying and conversion reactions. The Mn2SnO4@C anode exhibited excellent cycling stability due to the synergistic effect between Mn and Sn, and the uniform carbon coating. The anode maintained a capacity retention over 100 % at various current densities and a specific capacity reached 944 mAh g−1 after rate testing. Furthermore, a novel LIC was assembled using Mn2SnO4@C anode and coconut shell biomass carbon (CSBC) cathode, delivering an ultrahigh energy density of 217.9 Wh kg−1 at 210 W kg−1 and maintaining 25.1 Wh kg−1 even at a high power of 21 kW kg−1. This work applied alloy-conversion dual lithium storage mechanism anode materials to LICs, providing a new avenue for next-generation high-performance LICs.

Pseudocapacitive lithium-rich disordered rock salt vanadium oxide with 3D lithium-ion transport pathways for high-performance lithium-ion capacitor

Pseudocapacitive materials with high-rate behavior of lithium-ion charge storage offer a pathway to narrow the kinetics gap with capacitive porous carbon cathode toward lithium-ion capacitors both with high energy and high power densities. However, most of pseudocapacitive materials are subject to their relatively high redox potential, thus resulting in an undesirable decrease in energy density. Here, we demonstrate that lithium-rich disordered rock salt vanadium oxide (DRX-Li3V2O5), electrochemically transformed from V2O5 bulk, exhibits typical pseudocapacitive behaviors within a low working potential range between 0.1 and 2.0 V (vs. Li/Li+). The pseudocapacitive behaviors of DRX-Li3V2O5 mainly arise upon a percolating network that offers three-dimensional Li + transport pathways confirmed by Monte Carlo simulations. When the V2O5 bulk precursor is replaced by V2O5 nanosheets, as-obtained DRX-Li3V2O5 electrode displays a nearly symmetrical cyclic voltammetry curve, suggesting an ideal pseudocapacitive behavior. A lithium-ion capacitor further assembled by this pseudocapacitive DRX-Li3V2O5 anode, yields a cell voltage of 4.0 V, a maximum energy density of 186 Wh kg−1 and a maximum power density of 51,680 W kg−1 as well as long-term cycling life over 30,000 cycles, which are higher than or comparable to that of the state-of-art lithium-ion capacitors based on graphite and other pseudocapacitive materials.

Eco-friendly production of carbon electrode from biomass for high performance Lithium and Zinc ion capacitors with hybrid energy storage characteristics

Biomass derived carbon has emerged as promising electrode material for supercapacitors, owing to its low-cost, abundance and eco-friendly nature. Herein, we investigate the application of fluorine-enriched carbon derived from Ipomoea carnea as electrode in Zinc-Ion and Lithium-Ion capacitors (ZIC and LIC). The prepared IC is activated using KOH to enhance the surface properties and to create an amicable environment to accommodate metal ions. The properties of resultant biomass carbon (IC) are evaluated using various physical and chemical characterization techniques. The activated IC exhibited high surface area of 736.7 m2/g and suitable porous structure. The IC electrode is paired with Zn metal foil and an aqueous solution of ZnSO4/MnSO4 is used to fabricate ZIC. The device exhibits a capacitance of 168 F g−1 and retains about 79.5% of its initial capacitance after 5000 cycles. The prepared IC pre-lithiated and used to fabricate Li Ion capacitor, which delivered a capacitance of 155 F g−1 and retained 77.5% of initial capacitance after 5000 cycles. The implication biomass-derived carbon in LIC and ZIC is experimented in detail.

Interface engineering of CoSe2/N-doped graphene heterostructure with ultrafast pseudocapacitive kinetics for high-performance lithium-ion capacitors

Interface engineering of CoSe2/N-doped graphene heterostructure with ultrafast pseudocapacitive kinetics for high-performance lithium-ion capacitors

Fabricating tunable metal sulfides embedded with honeycomb-structured N-doped carbon matrices for high-performance lithium-ion capacitors

Fabricating tunable metal sulfides embedded with honeycomb-structured N-doped carbon matrices for high-performance lithium-ion capacitors

Novel high entropy oxide as anode for high performance lithium-ion capacitors

A fresh type of lithium-ion battery anode called high entropy oxide (HEO) has a remarkable specific capacity and outstanding cycle performance. The advantage of HEO consists in the distinct adjustable contents along with governable chemical constitution, which makes it possible to develop novel electrode materials using infinite combinations of elements. We successfully synthesized (FeCoNiCuZn)3O4 material via a straightforward hydrothermal way in this work. At a lofty current density of 1 A g−1, obtaining an invertible capacity of 540 mAh g−1 behind 500 cycles, the unique structure of (FeCoNiCuZn)3O4 exhibits remarkable stability. We analyzed the valence states of the metal elements and further investigated their relationship with electrochemical and kinetic properties after using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Subsequently, by incorporating the (FeCoNiCuZn)3O4 anode with activated carbon (AC) in a lithium-ion hybrid capacitor (LIHC), which could deliver an outstanding power density of 4000 W kg−1 and energy density of 158 Wh kg−1 while maintaining excellent capacity retention property even after 5000 cycles, the anode showed considerable performance. This is the first time HEO has been used in LIHC, as far as we are aware.