Reliable Storage Research Articles

Simultaneously ultrafast and robust two-dimensional flash memory devices based on phase-engineered edge contacts

As the prevailing non-volatile memory (NVM), flash memory offers mass data storage at high integration density and low cost. However, due to the ‘speed-retention-endurance’ dilemma, their typical speed is limited to ~microseconds to milliseconds for program and erase operations, restricting their application in scenarios with high-speed data throughput. Here, by adopting metallic 1T-LixMoS2 as edge contact, we show that ultrafast (10–100 ns) and robust (endurance>106 cycles, retention>10 years) memory operation can be simultaneously achieved in a two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructure flash memory with 2H-MoS2 as semiconductor channel. We attribute the superior performance to the gate tunable Schottky barrier at the edge contact, which can facilitate hot carrier injection to the semiconductor channel and subsequent tunneling when compared to a conventional top contact with high density of defects at the metal interface. Our results suggest that contact engineering can become a strategy to further improve the performance of 2D flash memory devices and meet the increasing demands of high speed and reliable data storage.

Artificial lizard search optimized fuzzy logic approach to addressing authentication and data security challenges in P2P cloud environments

The cloud is a widely used technology for inter-organizational data exchange and managing digital information. Even though it offers significant potential for user convenience it is subjected to different security as well as privacy issues due to the refusal of the cloud peer to disclose their identity to others. This arise the need for an effective data exchange among different cloud peers by preserving the anonymity and data privacy of the users. Hence, an anonymous secure data exchange solution is presented in this article by employing authentication as well as key agreement (AKA) protocol. The Fuzzy Logic-Based Anonymous Identity Generation Module is used to improve the data security and user privacy of the AKA protocol by establishing mutual authentication for multiple users via the session keys. The use of the peer-to-peer (P2P) cloud system in this study offers secure and reliable storage since data is partitioned into small blocks and stored in multiple locations. The fuzzy logic model offers registration services and prevents the P2P cloud from various attacks and temporary key leakage issues using the session key. The proposed model is tested on the NIST Special Database 302, and it demonstrates superior performance compared to existing methods. Experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method in achieving better security and resilience against various cyber-attacks. Furthermore, it minimizes communication overhead during the authentication process and provides resistance against various cyber-attacks. In this manner, the proposed model withstands different attacks and preserves user privacy when compared to the baseline security protocols.

Excellent high-temperature energy storage capacity for polyetherimide nanocomposites with hierarchically structured nanofillers

High-temperature electronic power systems need reliable dielectric energy storage materials, but conductive losses in extreme conditions impair their performance. Hierarchically-structured fillers are promising to not only integrate the benefits of diverse components but also effectively utilize interface engineering and electron scattering effects to optimize dielectric and breakdown properties, thereby modulating energy storage performance in polymer-based composites. In this work, we successfully fabricated hierarchical nanofillers comprising 2D boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) and 0D ultrafine strontium titanate (ST) nanoparticles. The paraelectric ceramic ultrafine ST possesses a high dielectric constant and low residual polarization, which enhances the energy storage density of composite materials while ensuring high conversion efficiency. The PEI-based nanocomposites loaded with hierarchical BNNS@ST nanofillers attain remarkable discharged energy density (4.29 J cm−3) and charging and discharging efficiency (η > 80%) at 150 °C. This approach utilizing hierarchically-structured nanofillers offers a feasible strategy to explore high-energy–density polymer dielectrics applied in extreme environments.

A Lightweight Dynamic Storage Algorithm With Adaptive Encoding for Energy Internet

Reliable data storage is crucial to the production, transmission, transaction, consumption, and analysis of an Energy Internet (EI). Whereas mainstream distributed data storage seems to be a plausible solution, the existing methods suffer from a tradeoff between the storage overhead (incurred by the replicas of data encodings for lossless recovery) and the communication latency (due to the spiking network traffic resulting from massive queries of data replicas across devices). To balance this tradeoff, we propose a <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Lightweight Dynamic Storage Algorithm based on Adaptive Encoding</i> (LDSA-AE) approach for EI data storage. Our key idea is to classify the data into active and inactive categories, where the active data are most likely to be accessed and thus corrupted in high frequencies. As such, wherever the active data are housed, the replicas of them can be proactively allocated into a set of nearby devices. The main challenges are to realize the classification in real-time and to tailor encoding methods for the active and inactive separately in correspondence to their own characteristics. To overcome these, our LDSA-AE 1) proposes a novel density-based clustering algorithm to tackle performance data classification in an online and unsupervised fashion and 2) leverages Minimum Density RAID-6 (MDR) code and Cauchy Reed-Solomon (CRS) code for active and inactive data encodings, respectively, striving to ensure data storage with low overhead, low latency, high reliability, and high throughput at once. A theoretical analysis substantiates the viability and effectiveness of our proposed LDSA-AE approach. We also prototype our LDSA-AE on a real-world server testbed, and the empirical study suggests the superiority of our approach over the state-of-the-art distributed storage schemes for EI in terms of storage overhead, repair throughput, and reliability.

Challenges to Optimize Charge Trapping Non-Volatile Flash Memory Cells: A Case Study of HfO2/Al2O3 Nanolaminated Stacks.

The requirements for ever-increasing volumes of data storage have urged intensive studies to find feasible means to satisfy them. In the long run, new device concepts and technologies that overcome the limitations of traditional CMOS-based memory cells will be needed and adopted. In the meantime, there are still innovations within the current CMOS technology, which could be implemented to improve the data storage ability of memory cells-e.g., replacement of the current dominant floating gate non-volatile memory (NVM) by a charge trapping memory. The latter offers better operation characteristics, e.g., improved retention and endurance, lower power consumption, higher program/erase (P/E) speed and allows vertical stacking. This work provides an overview of our systematic studies of charge-trapping memory cells with a HfO2/Al2O3-based charge-trapping layer prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The possibility to tailor density, energy, and spatial distributions of charge storage traps by the introduction of Al in HfO2 is demonstrated. The impact of the charge trapping layer composition, annealing process, material and thickness of tunneling oxide on the memory windows, and retention and endurance characteristics of the structures are considered. Challenges to optimizing the composition and technology of charge-trapping memory cells toward meeting the requirements for high density of trapped charge and reliable storage with a negligible loss of charges in the CTF memory cell are discussed. We also outline the perspectives and opportunities for further research and innovations enabled by charge-trapping HfO2/Al2O3-based stacks.

BO-DNA: Biologically optimized encoding model for a highly-reliable DNA data storage

DNA data storage is a promising technology that utilizes computer simulation, and synthetic biology, offering high-density and reliable digital information storage. It is challenging to store massive data in a small amount of DNA without losing the original data since nonspecific hybridization errors occur frequently and severely affect the reliability of stored data. This study proposes a novel biologically optimized encoding model for DNA data storage (BO-DNA) to overcome the reliability problem. BO-DNA model is developed by a new rule-based mapping method to avoid data drop during the transcoding of binary data to premier nucleotides. A customized optimization algorithm based on a tent chaotic map is applied to maximize the lower bounds that help to minimize the nonspecific hybridization errors. The robustness of BO-DNA is computed by four bio-constraints to confirm the reliability of newly generated DNA sequences. Experimentally, different medical images are encoded and decoded successfully with 12%–59% improved lower bounds and optimally constrained-based DNA sequences reported with 1.77bit/nt average density. BO-DNA's results demonstrate substantial advantages in constructing reliable DNA data storage.

Understanding the Crystal Chemistry of Phosphate Cathode Materials

Thermal batteries are primary reserve batteries that can achieve high power output in a short period of time by melting an insulating salt electrolyte with a pyrotechnic heat source and converting it into a highly conductive eutectic salt electrolyte. The thermal battery exhibits no self-discharge before activation, and the initial capacity of the thermal battery is maintained after long-term storage. Thermal batteries are an attractive option for emergency power supplies in aircraft, ejector seats, space landings and helicopters due to their outstanding robustness, high reliability, and long-term storage properties.FeS2 or CoS2 are the most common cathode materials for thermal batteries.1 However, their high cost and relatively low discharge voltage makes it desirable to find new materials that have higher voltage discharges, higher specific capacities, low cost and that are environmentally friendly. Polyanion cathode materials have attracted much attention in the field of both Li-ion and Na-ion batteries,2–4 as they can be regarded as low-cost materials and environmentally friendly. However, to the best of our knowledge, there have been no studies on polyanion cathode materials for thermal batteries. These materials are formed by tetrahedral units (XO4)n- (X = P, S, Si or B) bonded to MO6 polyhedra (M = transition metal). The tetrahedral anion presents a very strong covalent bond between X-O, giving rise to higher voltages versus Li+/Li or Na+/Na via the inductive effect and their very stable framework and open structure facilitates ion diffusion. Thus, polyanion materials present high structural stability and enable the tuning of the operating potential, making them an excellent choice for developing new cathode materials for thermal batteries. Here we report some of our latest work on the synthesis, structure and electrochemistry of polyanionic cathode materials for thermal batteries. 1 R. Li, W. Guo and Y. Qian, Front. Chem., 2022, in press, doi: 10.3389/fchem.2022.832972 2 Z. Gong and Y. Yang, Energy Environ. Sci., 2011, 4, 3223–3242. 3 C. Masquelier and L. Croguennec, Chem. Rev., 2013, 113, 6552–6591. 4 Q. Ni, Y. Bai, F. Wu and C. Wu, Adv. Sci., 2017, 4, 1600275.

Synthesis of Single Crystalline Spike Shaped Nano-Rod Structured Cathode for High Performance SIB

The increasing need for energy, the widespread adoption of electric vehicles and renewable energy storage systems, and the search for cost-effective, reliable energy storage options are all factors in the dynamic nature of the global energy landscape and energy storage industry. As more and more people switch to using electric vehicles and other kinds of renewable energy storage, there has been a corresponding increase in demand for LIBs all around the globe. Despite increasing demand, there are geopolitical and supply-chain risks as most LIBs are still manufactured in only a few countries, namely China, Japan, and South Korea. Sodium-ion batteries, also known as SIBs, have recently come to the forefront as a potentially advantageous candidate for the large-scale storage of electric energy due to the potential advantages of widespread availability and low cost of sodium resources. SIB research and development are still at an early stage, and there are few opportunities for their commercialization. SIBs do, however, confront a number of issues that need to be addressed, including as their short cycle life and rate capability, the restricted availability of high-performance materials, and the need for more research and development to maximize their performance and dependability. Nonetheless, tremendous progress has been made recently, and several businesses and research centers across the globe are attempting to enhance SIB technology. The high theoretical specific capacity and quantity of component elements make layered metal oxides suitable cathode materials for SIBs. In order to enhance their electrochemical performance, however, further exploration is required to deal with their drawbacks, such as limited rate capability and voltage fading. As the cathode materials play such a large role in determining the energy density of SIBs, the primary issue in developing high-energy SIBs is discovering cathode materials with plentiful active sites, high reaction potential, unhindered ionic channels, and stable structures. Tailoring the morphology of materials using nanostructure engineering opens up hitherto unimagined possibilities for exploiting the functional features such as enhanced electrode's specific surface area, decreased sodium-ion diffusion distance, and boost in electronic conductivity. This study demonstrates a quaternary 1D layered transition metal oxide-based cathode with a composition of Na0.67Fe0.25Mn0.5Ti0.2V0.05O2 synthesized by a facile sol-gel strategy. From the SEM results, it is seen that 1D spoke like nanorods are evolved with a tiny fraction of 3D hexagonal lattice which is due to the excessive presence of vanadium in the stoichiometry ratio of the composite. Such nanorod framework configuration facilitates large surface area in contact with the electrolyte that is suitable for charge migration and rapid diffusion of sodium ions through short solid-state route. The P2- Na0.67Fe0.25Mn0.5Ti0.2V0.05O2 microstructure, with its high crystallinity and nanorod structure, showed off a high specific capacity and outstanding rate capability which is visible through electrochemical analysis results.

Sodium Penetration in Nasicon Solid Electrolytes Under High Current

High conductivity solid electrolytes, such as NaSICON, are poised to play an increasingly important role in safe, reliable battery-based energy storage, enabling a new class of sodium-based batteries. Coupled demands of high current densities (≥0.1 A cm-2) and low temperature (<200 °C) operation, combined with increased discharge times for long duration storage (>12 h), challenge the limitations of solid electrolytes. Here, we explore the penetration of sodium into NaSICON at 0.1 A cm-2 in a symmetric molten sodium cell. Previous studies of β’’-alumina proposed that Poiseuille pressure-driven cracking (Mode I) and low levels of electronic conductivity leading to ion-electron recombination (Mode II) can cause metal accumulation within solid electrolytes, but a comprehensive study at high current density is necessary. To understand and differentiate these modes in NaSICON, this work employs unidirectional galvanostatic testing of Na|NaSICON|Na symmetric cells at 0.1 A cm-2 over 23 1-hour intervals at 110 °C. While galvanostatic testing shows a relatively constant, yet increasingly noisy voltage profile, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) between intervals reveals a significant decrease in cell impedance which can be correlated with sodium metal penetration, as observed in scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Significant sodium accumulation from the stripping-side electrode suggests that Mode II failure may be far more prevalent than previously considered. Further, these findings suggest that total charge transported per unit area (mAh cm-2), an important parameter for long duration storage, may be a more critical parameter than current density (mA cm-2) when examining solid electrolyte failure. Together, these results provide a better understanding of the limitations of NaSICON solid electrolytes under high current density and can guide the design of coatings to improve electrode-electrolyte interfaces.

Molten Sodium Penetration Through Solid-State Nasicon Electrolytes Under High Current

High conductivity solid electrolytes, such as NaSICON, are poised to play an increasingly important role in safe, reliable battery-based energy storage, enabling a new class of sodium-based batteries. Increasing demands of both high current densities (≥0.1 A cm-2) and low temperature (<200 °C) operation, coupled with increased discharge times for long duration storage (>12 h), challenge the limitations of solid electrolytes. Here, we explore the penetration of sodium into NaSICON at 0.1 A cm-2 in a symmetric molten sodium cell. Previous studies of β’’-alumina proposed that Poiseuille pressure-driven cracking (Mode I) and low levels of electronic conductivity leading to ion-electron recombination (Mode II) can cause metal accumulation within solid electrolytes, but a comprehensive study at high current density is necessary. To understand and differentiate these modes in NaSICON, this work employs unidirectional galvanostatic testing of Na|NaSICON|Na symmetric cells at 0.1 A cm-2 over 23 1-hour intervals at 110 °C. While galvanostatic testing shows a relatively constant, yet increasingly noisy voltage profile, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) between intervals reveals a significant decrease in cell impedance which can be correlated with sodium metal penetration, as observed in scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Significant sodium accumulation from the stripping-side electrode suggests that Mode II failure may be far more prevalent than previously considered. Further, these findings suggest that total charge transported per unit area (mAh cm-2), an important parameter for long duration storage, may be a more critical parameter than current density (mA cm-2) when examining solid electrolyte failure. Together, these results provide a better understanding of the limitations of NaSICON solid electrolytes under high current density and can guide the design of coatings to improve electrode-electrolyte interfaces.

Investigation of Ultra-Low Temperature Li/CF x Batteries in the Liquefied Gas Electrolyte

Lithium-fluorinated carbon (Li/CFx) is one of the most promising chemistries to serve as a reliable high-energy density primary energy storage system in applications where rechargeability is not required. Though Li/CFx demonstrates high energy density (>2100 Wh kg–1) under ambient conditions, achieving such a high energy density when exposed to subzero temperatures remains challenging, particularly under high current density.Liquefied gas electrolytes (LGE) are regarded as one of the most promising electrolyte systems, offering excellent ionic conductivities at wide temperature ranges from -80 to + 60 oC due to low viscosity and low freezing point of gas molecules. Moreover, the LGE can significantly improve the capacity retention of Li-metal batteries operated at reduced temperatures.Here, we report a liquefied gas electrolyte with an anion-pair solvation structure based on dimethyl ether with a low melting point (−141 oC) and low viscosity (0.12 mPa×S, 20 oC), leading to high ionic conductivity (> 3.5 mS cm–1) between −70 and 60 oC. Besides that, through systematic X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) integrated with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterizations, we evaluate the CFx interphase from the low-temperature discharge process. We conclude that the fast transport and anion-pairing solvation structure of the electrolyte bring about reduced charge transfer resistance at low temperatures, which resulted in significantly enhanced performance of Li/CFx cells (1690 Wh kg–1, −60 oC;1172 Wh kg–1, −70 oC based on active materials). Utilizing 50 mg cm-2 loading CFx electrodes, the Li/CFx displayed 1530 Wh kg–1 at −60 oC. This work provides insights into the electrolyte design that may overcome the operational limits of batteries in extreme environments.

(Invited) 2D Nitride Mxenes with Unusual Chemistries for Carbon-Neutral Energy

The large-scale shift towards renewable energy technology requires the ability to reliably convert and store electrochemical energy. This technology is still limited in terms of performance, cost, and/or ease of utilization. In recent years, two-dimensional (2D) materials have been explored as low-cost, high-performing catalysts and electrodes for the reliable conversion and storage of electrochemical energy. Of these 2D materials, a special class of carbides and nitrides, known as MXenes, have gained popularity due to their high tunability, conductivity, and high surface area-to-volume ratio. From these carbide and nitride MXenes, the nitrides have received less attention due to a lack of reliable synthesis methods, despite being theorized to outperform their carbide counterparts. In this presentation, I will present on the oxygen-assisted molten salt fluoride synthesis method developed in my group to produce phase-pure nitride MXenes. Along with this, I will provide evidence of the enhanced capabilities of the nitride family of MXenes compared to carbides, sulfides, and oxides, when applied in the nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and supercapacitor applications. In each of these fields, the enhanced performance is investigated using in-situ/operando spectroelectrochemical techniques. I will wrap up by discussing the future directions in the field of MXenes that require further attention for the full exploitation of their properties in electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems to attain carbon-neutral energy.

3D Printing‐Directed Synergistic Design of High‐Performance Zinc‐Ion Hybrid Capacitors and Nanogenerators for All‐In‐One Self‐Powered Energy Wristband

AbstractAdvanced wearable self‐powered energy systems that simultaneously achieve energy harvesting and energy storage offer exciting opportunities for flexible electronics, information communication, and even intelligent environmental monitoring. However, building and integrating synergistic energy storage from energy harvester unit into a single power source is highly challenging. Herein, a unique 3D printing‐directed synergistic design of high‐performance zinc‐ion hybrid capacitors (ZIHCs) and triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) is proposed for the all‐in‐one self‐powered wearable energy wristband. With advanced ink design, high‐performance flexible ZIHCs are built up as the excellent energy storage unit with remarkable electrochemical behaviors and synergistic matching from TENGs. An exceptional device capacitance of 239.0 mF cm−2, moderate potential window, high‐rate capability, robust cycling stability, and excellent flexibility are achieved. Intrinsic charge storage process is also revealed, further demonstrating the outstanding electrochemical stability of the in‐plane flexible ZIHCs. Moreover, using 3D printing‐directed synergistic design, an advanced all‐in‐one self‐powered energy wristband is developed, where an efficient harvesting of body vibration/movement energy and a reliable storage of harvested energy are simultaneously realized, representing a substantial step toward future practical applications in portable and wearable electronics.

ClimInonda: A Web Application for Climate Data Management: A Case Study of the Bayech Basin (Southwestern Tunisia)

The Bayech basin is located in southwestern Tunisia, a highly prone region to flooding risks. The Bayech basin is characterized by wadis that adopt a wide, sometimes ill-defined bed, often intersected by low-lying areas, resulting in a semi-endoreismo, greatly disrupting the flow regimes. The Bayech basin drains the slopes of the Nementchas and Tebessa mountains in Algeria, collecting water from the Medjen Bel Abbes plain in its middle course before crossing the Gafsa djebls chain at the Gafsa gap. In this basin, flooding is generally caused by high-intensity storms and is often relatively limited in extent. The slope shape and soil type can promote rapid surface runoff during intense rainfall. Therefore, the purpose of creating a web application, labeled ClimInonda, is to respond to a critical need of readily available information on climatic, environmental, and land use data collected in this basin and its morphometric characteristics using recent methods. The application consists of three essential components: the front-end, back-end, and database. The front-end focuses on the user interface, allowing users to interact with the application’s features. It communicates with the back-end through Hypertext Transfer Protocol requests for data processing and retrieval. The back-end handles the server-side operations, processes requests, and provides responses by retrieving data from the database. The database stores and manages the application’s data, ensuring integrity and efficient access. This modular architecture ensures a user-friendly interface, seamless data processing, and reliable data storage. Visualizations can include different types of data, such as satellite imagery, weather data, and terrain data, and can be displayed using various techniques, such as heat maps, contour maps, and 3D models, by providing easy-to-understand visualizations. ClimInonda is an application developed to expand upon existing platforms by providing a suite of exploratory data analysis features, including the ability to calculate the total precipitation depth recorded for any period, interpolate the annual recurrence interval for rainfall events, etc. A simple evaluation of the platform was performed to assess the usefulness and user satisfaction of the tool by professional users, and positive feedback was received. There is clear evidence that ClimInonda would provide the necessary basis for informed decision making by stakeholders and development agencies in arid and semi-arid Tunisia.

Blockchain-Based Secure Storage and Access Control Scheme for Supply Chain Ecological Business Data: A Case Study of the Automotive Industry.

The reliable circulation of automotive supply chain data is crucial for automotive manufacturers and related enterprises as it promotes efficient supply chain operations and enhances their competitiveness and sustainability. However, with the increasing prominence of privacy protection and information security issues, traditional data sharing solutions are no longer able to meet the requirements for highly reliable secure storage and flexible access control. In response to this demand, we propose a secure data storage and access control scheme for the supply chain ecosystem based on the enterprise-level blockchain platform Hyperledger Fabric. The design incorporates a dual-layer attribute-based auditable access control model for access control, with four smart contracts aimed at coordinating and implementing access policies. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach exhibits significant advantages under large-scale data and multi-attribute conditions. It enables fine-grained, dynamic access control under ciphertext and maintains high throughput and security in simulated real-world operational scenarios.

Technical challenges and optimization of superconducting magnetic energy storage in electrical power systems

The main motivation for the study of superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) integrated into the electrical power system (EPS) is the electrical utilities' concern with eliminating Power Quality (PQ) issues and greenhouse gas emissions. This article aims to provide a thorough analysis of the SMES interface, which is crucial to the EPS. This article also discusses the development of SMES as a reliable energy storage system (ESS). Delivering outstanding performance to support the EPS in any upsetting scenario can help SMES achieve its goals. A few of the fascinating aspects of the application of SMES in this context are microgrids, transmission and distribution (T&D) grids, renewable energy sources (RES), and plug-in hybrid energy storage systems (HESS). However, power utilities must evaluate the effectiveness and enhance a better performance on PQ when presenting a highly efficient energy technology. This article examines the difficulties of integrating SMES into the electricity network as well as the performance effects of HESS and RES. Finally, by outlining the current state of knowledge and highlighting any gaps in the literature, the power protection strategies and difficulties for power networks using SMES are evaluated.

Perspective on imaging antiferromagnetic domains in thin films with the magneto-optical birefringence effect

Antiferromagnets are considered to be a promising host material for the next generation of magnetic storage due to their high stability and stray-field-free property. However, the absence of net magnetization in antiferromagnets renders conventional magnetometry ineffective, posing a great challenge in investigating microscopic antiferromagnetic (AFM) properties under magnetic or electric fields. In this Perspective, we provide an overview of various AFM domain imaging techniques and discuss the most promising optical imaging method based on the magneto-optical birefringence (MOB) effect. Additionally, we highlight recent advances in imaging AFM domains utilizing the MOB technique. This Perspective aims to provide a comprehensive review of the current research and potential future directions based on the MOB imaging technique, which could pave the way for the development of more efficient and reliable magnetic storage devices based on antiferromagnets.

Evaluating the Economic Potential for Geological Hydrogen Storage in Australia

Australia has ambitions to become a major global hydrogen producer by 2030. The establishment of Australia’s and the world’s hydrogen economy, however, will depend upon the availability of affordable and reliable hydrogen storage. Geological hydrogen storage is a practical solution for large scale storage requirements ensuring hydrogen supply can always meet demand, and excess renewable electricity can be stored for later use, improving electricity network reliability. Hosting thick, underground halite (salt) deposits and an abundance of onshore depleted gas fields, Australia is well placed to take advantage of geological hydrogen storage options to support its ambition of building a global hydrogen hub export industry. Using the Bluecap modelling software, we identify regions in Australia that are potentially profitable for large scale hydrogen production and storage. We use the results of this work to suggest high-potential regions for hydrogen development, supporting policymaker and investor decisions on the locations of new infrastructure and hydrogen projects in Australia.

A Review on Recent Progress Achieved in Boron Carbon Nitride Nanomaterials for Supercapacitor Applications

Supercapacitors are regarded as reliable energy storage devices to alleviate the energy crisis and environmental pollution. However, the relatively low capacitance and low energy density limit the practical application of supercapacitors. In this context, boron carbon nitride (BCN) nanomaterials have been extensively studied in the past decade due to their chemical and thermal stability, high mechanical strength, as well as tunable bandgap. The specific capacitance and energy density of supercapacitors can be significantly improved by fabricating nanostructured BCN-based electrode materials. In this review, the recent advances in the application of BCN-based materials in supercapacitors is presented. Strategies such as structure design, porosity/defect engineering, and hybrid nanostructure construction to boost the electrochemical performance of BCN-based materials are provided and, finally, promising research directions for novel energy storage materials are proposed.

PdNi biatomic clusters from metallene unlock record-low onset dehydrogenation temperature for bulk-MgH2.

Hydrogen storage has long been a priority on the renewable energy research agenda. Due to its high volumetric and gravimetric hydrogen density, MgH2 is a desirable candidate for solid-state hydrogen storage. However, its practical use is constrained by high thermal stability and sluggish kinetics. Here, we report PdNi bilayer metallenes as catalysts for hydrogen storage of bulk-MgH2 near ambient temperature. Unprecedented 422 K beginning dehydrogenation temperature and up to 6.36wt.% reliable hydrogen storage capacity were achieved. Fast hydrogen desorption was also provided by the system (5.49wt.% in 1h, 523 K). The in-situ generated PdNi alloy clusters with suitable d-band centers were identified as the main active sites during the de/re-hydrogenation process by AC-TEM and theoretical simulations, while other active species including Pd/Ni pure phase clusters and Pd/Ni single atoms obtained via metallene ball milling, also enhance reaction. These findings present fundamental insights into active species identification and rational design of highly efficient hydrogen storage materials. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.