Sustainable Energy Storage Devices Research Articles

Realization High-Voltage Stabilization of O3-Type Layered Oxide Cathodes for Sodium-Ion Batteries by Sn Simultaneously Dual Modification

The total global production of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) used in electric vehicles and stationary energy storage devices has increased sharply to reach the targeted Net Zero by 2050. This leads to concerns about the future and long-term availability and cost of critical raw materials (cobalt, nickel, lithium and copper) employed in LIBs. Therefore, alternative new-generation batteries with comparable performance but using less critical raw materials are needed.Sodium-ion Batteries (NIBs) offer a wealth of possibilities for inexpensive and sustainable energy storage devices. To maximize their potential, new cathode materials with high energy densities and stable structures are required. Cobalt-free sodium transition metal oxides of O3 type are a predominant cathode for NIBs due to their appreciable specific capacity, reduction in the use of critical elements, and the potential to rival LiFePO4 in terms of energy density. However, rapid capacity fading caused by serious structural and interfacial degradation hamper this process.Herein, we provide a novel Sn-modified O3-type NaNi1/3Fe1/3Mn1/3O2 cathode with improved high-voltage stability by bulk Sn doping and surface coating simultaneously. The bulk substitution of Sn4+ stabilizes the crystal structure by alleviating the irreversible high voltage phase transition and lattice structure degradation. In the meantime, the spontaneously formed tin rich surface layer effectively inhibits surface parasitic reactions and improves interfacial stability during cycling. As a result, the Sn-modified NaNi1/3Fe1/3Mn1/3O2 cathode exhibited excellent cycling performance by an almost doubled capacity retention increase after 200 cycles within 2.0-4.1V. The influence of Sn modification on the crystal structure and electrochemical properties has been investigated for the first time, and the mechanism was studied through an extensive analysis by in situ XRD, HRTEM, FIB-SEM, XPS and Mössbauer spectroscopy.This work offers an industrially feasible strategy to simultaneously stabilize the bulk structure and interface for O3-type layered cathodes for SIBs and raises the possibility of similar effective strategies to be employed for other energy storage materials Figure 1

Insight into the Role of Conductive Polypyrrole Coated on Rice Husk-Derived Nanosilica-Reduced Graphene Oxide as the Anodes: Electrochemical Improvement in Sustainable Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Polypyrrole (PPy) is a type of conducting polymer that has garnered attention as a potential electrode material for sustainable energy storage devices. This is mostly attributed to its mechanical flexibility, ease of processing, and ecologically friendly nature. Here, a polypyrrole-coated rice husk-derived nanosilica-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite (SiO2-rGO@PPy) as an anode material was developed by a simple composite technique followed by an in situ polymerization process. The architecture of reduced graphene oxide offers a larger electrode/electrolyte interface to promote charge-transfer reactions and provides sufficient space to buffer a large volume expansion of SiO2, maintaining the mechanical integrity of the overall electrode during the lithiation/delithiation process. Moreover, the conducting polymer coating not only improves the capacity of SiO2, but also suppresses the volume expansion and rapid capacity fading caused by serious pulverization. The present anode material shows a remarkable specific reversible capacity of 523 mAh g-1 at 100 mA g-1 current density and exhibits exceptional discharge rate capability. The cycling stability at a current density of 100 mA g-1 shows 81.6% capacity retention and high Coulombic efficiency after 250 charge-discharge cycles. The study also pointed out that this method might be able to be used on a large scale in the lithium-ion battery industry, which could have a big effect on its long-term viability. Creating sustainable nanocomposites is an exciting area of research that could help solve some of the biggest problems with lithium-ion batteries, like how easy they are to make and how big they can be used in industry. This is because they are sustainable and have less of an impact on the environment.

Rational design of MoS2 nanoflowers grafted highly porous functionalized woody pulp-derived biochar for sustainable energy storage devices

In this study, a simple hydrothermal approach is employed for the rational manufacturing of MoS2 nanoflowers (MoS2-NFs) grafted onto highly porous functionalized woody pulp-derived biochar (f-WPB) for use in supercapacitors (SCs). Investigations are conducted into the produced materials’ morphological, textural, physicochemical surface, and electrochemical performance. The MoS2-NFs are uniformly grown on the f-WPB and subsequently lead to an increase in the developed MoS2-NFs/f-WPB nanocomposite’s specific capacity/capacitance if compared to the individual MoS2-NFs and f-WPB, reaching 285 C g−1 (610 F g−1) at 1 A g−1. These findings suggest that the produced composite (MoS2-NFs/f-WPB) has the potential to be an efficacious SC electrode material. Surprisingly, the constructed device achieved a remarkable specific energy of 12 Wh kg−1 at a specific power of 1075 W kg−1. MoS2-NFs/f-WPB nanocomposite is prospective for use in SC applications, as can be revealed by the assembled device’s cycling stability performance, which preserved 82 % after 2000 cycles of its initial capacity.

Highly stable and reliable asymmetric solid-state supercapacitors with low self-discharge rates

In this research work, we reported the synthesis of MnO2 by a simple co-precipitation technique and its use as electrode material for supercapacitors. Thus, hybrid supercapacitors with asymmetric configuration were constructed using a commercial activated carbon as the negative electrode, MnO2 and composites in the positive electrode, and Na+-form Aquivion electrolyte membrane as the separator and polymer electrolyte. The synergistic influence of MnO2 and carbon in the electrodes resulted in perfectly reversible charge storage processes at the positive electrode. As a result, the fabricated solid-state supercapacitors exhibited well rectangular voltammograms and a high specific capacitance of 130 F g ̶ 1 at 0.2 A g ̶ 1, as well as an energy density of 11.5 Wh kg ̶ 1 at a power density of 161 W kg ̶ 1. Moreover, this type of hybrid supercapacitor was able to achieve a long lifetime (i.e., 150 h at 1.6 V) for up to 10,000 cycles through a combination of galvanostatic charging/discharging, and floating conditions without compromising the capacitance stability. In addition, the NRT//MnO2 supercapacitor exhibited excellent voltage retention (self-discharge) of more than ∼74% at 48 h after charging in a high-voltage window of 1.6 V.These results suggest that the presented asymmetric solid-state configuration may be suitable for developing more efficient and sustainable energy storage devices.

Silicon infused Molybedenum di-selinide (MoSe2) nanosheets for enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and lithium-ion battery (LIB) applications

The systematized design of two-dimensional (2D) nanocatalysts for sensible energy-efficient reactions is quite a puzzling prospective aspect in energy-related applications. In this current work, we used a top-down strategy to synthesize silicon (Si) nanoparticles using a high-energy mechanical ball milling technique. In hydrothermal reaction, these Si nanoparticles were introduced into the 2D MoSe2 matrix sequence based on varying the percentages of silicon (0–15%) vs Selinium content. The high crystalline phases of the synthesized 10% Si:MoSe2 exhibited the sheet-like morphology and silicon inserted layered structure. The pristine MoSe2@CC & Si:MoSe2@CC electrodes were prepared by tape casting method. During HER reaction, the miniscule insertion of Si into MoSe2 matrix amplified the current density until 10% addition and moved the reduction curves towards lower onset overpotential (76.23 mV) in addition to the significant Tafel value (112.3 mV/decade). The potential of the better performed electrode in HER was explored as an anode for Lithium-ion battery (LIB) applications. The electrode delivered a discharge capacity of 406.7 mAh g−1 at a current density of 100 mA/g after 100 charge-discharge cycles. Furthermore, the rationally constructed bifunctional electrode (Si:MoSe2@CC) showed strong physicochemical stability, which can be used in future sustainable energy generation and storage devices.

Self-supporting hierarchical porous NiCo2S4/RGO/CNTs nanohybrids with abundant exposed electroactive redox sites for excellent hybrid supercapacitor

Bimetallic sulfide NiCo2S4 is a highly promising electrode material for applications in novel sustainable high-performance energy storage devices, but its poor rate capability and cycling life need to be enhanced. Herein, we report a novel self-supporting hierarchical porous NiCo2S4/RGO/CNTs nanohybrids (NCSRCs) by co-modification of NiCo2S4 nanoparticles with RGO and CNTs. The synergistic effect of RGO and CNTs not only constructs a hierarchical porous conductive network that facilitates charge transport kinetic and ion diffusion kinetic, but also provides abundant induced sites for the dispersion anchoring of NiCo2S4 nanoparticles due to their high specific surface area with rich functional groups, which reduces the stacking of NiCo2S4 nanoparticles and provides abundant exposed electroactive redox sites. Therefore, the electrochemical performance test results demonstrate that the NCSRCs electrodes exhibit significantly enhanced charge storage performance, showing a high specific capacity of 257.1 mAh g−1 at 0.3 A g−1 and good rate capability. In addition, the optimal NCSRC-24//N-RGO aqueous hybrid supercapacitor delivered a high specific energy of 33.67 Wh kg−1 and ultra-long durability with 82.44% capacity retention after 22,000 cycles. These results provide a facile approach to design and synthesize novel NCSRCs nanohybrids with superior properties for high-safety, sustainable and efficient aqueous energy storage devices.

Ironation mechanism in vanadium pentoxide (V[formula omitted]O[formula omitted]) for iron battery application

The recent development of iron batteries appear promising to provide economic, environment friendly, safe and sustainable energy storage devices. We elucidate the ironation mechanism of vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) for suitable cathode material for iron battery application. The layer structures of V2O5 favours the intercalation of electrode materials due to enough interstitial voids and it is also a low cost high safety material with high specific capacity and energy density. Because of these benefits its becoming a subject of increasing interest for the researcher in the field of battery application. It has been observed that the suitable amount of cation doping in V2O5 increases the electrical conductivity as well as electrochemical performance. The structure of the material is very important during cycling in the battery and there is a correlation between structural evolution and performance of the battery. In this context two reaction pathways are proposed, based on our first-principles calculation to support the possible explanation for the features of experimental observations. While one of the pathways retains the crystalline structure, the other pathway shows the degradation of material with amorphous structure.

Self-Decoupled Oxygen Electrocatalysis for Ultrastable Rechargeable Zn-Air Batteries with Mild-Acidic Electrolyte.

Rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs) have been considered promising as next-generation sustainable energy storage devices; however, their large-scale deployment is hampered by the unsatisfactory cyclic lifespan. Employing neutral and mild-acidic electrolytes is effective in extending the cyclability, but the rapid performance degradation of the bifunctional catalysts owing to different microenvironmental requirements of the alternative oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is still a serious limitation of their cyclic life. Herein, we propose a "self-decoupling" strategy to significantly improve the stability of the bifunctional catalysts by constructing a smart interface in the bifunctional air electrode. This smart interface, containing a resistance-switchable sulfonic acid doped polyaniline nanoarray interlayer, is nonconductive at high potential but conductive at low potential, which enables spontaneous electrochemical decoupling of the bifunctional catalyst for the ORR and OER, respectively, and thus protects it from degradation. The resulting self-decoupled mild-acidic ZAB delivers stable cyclic performances in terms of a negligible energy efficiency loss of 0.015% cycle-1 and 3 times longer cycle life (∼1400 h) compared with the conventional mild-acidic ZAB using a normal bifunctional air electrode and the same low-cost ZnCo phosphide/nitrogen-doped carbon bifunctional catalyst. This work provides an effective strategy for tolerating alternative oxidation-reduction reactions and emphasizes the importance of smart nanostructure design for more sustainable batteries.

Dextran: A Multifunctional and Universal Electrolyte Additive for Aqueous Zn Ion Batteries

AbstractThe aqueous Zn ion battery (ZIB) is a potentially sustainable energy storage device. However, its performance is still far from satisfactory. Herein, it is demonstrated that a branched sugar, dextran, widely used in eyedrop products to relieve irritated eyes, is a multifunctional and universal electrolyte additive to enable high‐performance ZIBs. Experimental and theoretical results reveal that dextran has four functions: forming a surface protective layer to minimize side reactions, facilitating stepwise [Zn(H2O)6]2+ desolvation, preferably adsorbing on Zn(0002) planes to supply desolvated Zn2+ and homogenizing electric field. These functions are universally observed in Zn(CF3SO3)2, ZnSO4, Zn(ClO4)2, and ZnCl2 aqueous electrolytes. As demonstrations for practical applications, Zn anodes deliver Coulombic efficiency of 99.97% after 3400 cycles in an electrolyte with 50 mg mL‒1 of dextran and cumulative plating capacity of 3400 mAh cm‒2 at 5 mA cm‒2. Zn//V2O5 full cells with a low negative/positive electrode capacity ratio of 2.18 can be stably cycled over 138 cycles at 1 A g‒1. Pouch full cells can work under mechanical bending conditions. Zn//polyaniline full cells can cycle steadily for 3000 cycles at 0.5 A g‒1 at −10 °C. Dextran shows excellent potential as a low‐cost and non‐toxic electrolyte additive to enable safe and reliable ZIBs.

Homogeneous Li deposition guided by ultra-thin lithiophilic layer for highly stable anode-free batteries

Li-metal batteries (LMBs) are intensively studied to keep up with the growing demand for sustainable and high-capacity energy storage devices. However, the practical implementation of LMBs is still challenging owing to the catastrophic side effects associated with the growth of dendritic Li and inferior Coulombic efficiency. To enhance the long-term electrochemical stability and high-rate performance of LMBs, it is crucial to control the morphology of Li deposition over the current collectors. Herein, we propose surface-modified current collectors to investigate how a lithiatable layer affects the morphology of Li deposition and thus contributes to the stable electrochemical performance of LMBs at high current densities. The lithiatable layer improves the electrolyte wetting ability, which efficiently diminishes the interfacial resistance between electrode and electrolyte. Moreover, the lithiatable layer induces homogeneous Li nucleation, consequently leading to the uniform Li deposition over the surface of current collectors. Due to these synergistic effects, the anode-free cells with surface-modified current collectors have achieved excellent cycle stability in comparison to that with conventional Cu current collector.

Aromatic biomass (torch ginger) leaf-derived three-dimensional honeycomb-like carbon to enhance gravimetric supercapacitor.

Porous carbon electrode (PCE) is identified as a highly suitable electrode material for commercial application due to its production process, which is characterized by simplicity, cost-effectiveness and environmental friendliness. PCE was synthesized using torch ginger (Etlingera elatior (Jack) R.M. Smith) leaves as the base material. The leaves were treated with different concentrations of ZnCl2 , resulting in a supercapacitor cell electrode with unique honeycomb-like three-dimensional (3D) morphological pore structure. This PCE comprises nanofibers from lignin content and volatile compounds from aromatic biomass waste. From the characterization of physical properties, PCE-0.3 had an impressive amorphous porosity, wettability and 3D honeycomb-like structural morphology with a pore framework consisting of micropores and mesopores. According to the structural advantages of 3D hierarchical pores such as interconnected honeycombs, PCE-0.3 as supercapacitor electrode had a high specific capacitance of up to 285.89 F g-1 at 1 A. Furthermore, the supercapacitor exhibited high energy and power density of 21.54 Wh kg-1 and 161.13 W kg-1 , respectively, with a low internal resistance of 0.059 Ω. The results indicated that 3D porous carbon materials such as interconnected honeycombs derived from the aromatic biomass of torch ginger leaves have significant potential for the development of sustainable energy storage devices. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

A Bipolar Separator for Autonomous Suppression of Dendrite Penetration in Zinc Metal Batteries

Zinc metal anodes are attracting much attention to enable more economical and sustainable energy storage devices. However, like other metal anodes, dendritic growths and penetrations of porous separators are still challenging to eliminate. Introducing negative surface charges on the pore walls of separators have been exploited to enforce a uniform incoming Zn-ion flux toward more uniform electrodeposition, but penetrations induced by localized high current densities still remain in available systems. In this work, we report, for the first time, a bipolar separator that exploits the distinct electroosmotic effects of the negative and the positive surface charges. The surface charge effects on Zn dendrite growths were first verified in transparent capillary cells via operando video microscopy. By stacking the positively charged separator over the negatively charged separator as our proof-of-concept, the system offers preemptively a uniform Zn-ion flux through the negative layer yet starve-stops local metal growths that already penetrated the negative layer autonomously. Chronopotentiometry experiments with the symmetric cells reveal extended short-circuit time compared to control cells. Galvanostatic cycle-life experiments of full cells with the bipolar separator showed excellent cycle life of 5,000 cycles at the rate of 10 C, without signs of metal penetration.

Lignin-derived iron carbide/Mn, N, S-codoped carbon nanotubes as a high-efficiency catalyst for synergistically enhanced oxygen reduction reaction and rechargeable zinc-air battery

Design of efficient and durable oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts still remains challenge in sustainable energy storage and conversion devices. To achieve sustainable development, it is of importance to prepare high-quality carbon-derived ORR catalysts from biomass. Herein, Fe5C2 nanoparticles (NPs) were facilely entrapped in Mn, N, S-codoped carbon nanotubes (Fe5C2/Mn, N, S-CNTs) by a one-step pyrolysis of the mixed lignin, metal precursors and dicyandiamide. The resulting Fe5C2/Mn, N, S-CNTs had open and tubular structures, which exhibited positive shifts in the onset potential (Eonset = 1.04 V) and high half-wave potential (E1/2 = 0.85 V), showing excellent ORR characteristics. Further, the typical catalyst-assembled Zn-air battery showed a high power density (153.19 mW cm−2) and good cycling performance as well as obvious cost advantage. The research provides some valuable insights for rational construction of low-cost and environmentally sustainable ORR catalysts in clean energy field, coupled by offering some valuable insights for reusing biomass wastes.

Self-assembled CoS2/NiCo2S4/RGO nanohybrids as advanced electrode for hybrid supercapacitor with enhanced energy density and ultra-long durability

Hybrid supercapacitors (HSCs), with enhanced energy density while maintaining high output power and ultra-long service life, have attracted much attention and research in efficient and sustainable new energy storage devices. Herein, we have successfully designed and synthesized novel CoS2/NiCo2S4/RGO nanohybrids with reduced graphene oxide co-modified by various transition metal sulfide (TMS) components using a facile one-step hydrothermal method. Benefiting from the excellent electrochemical activity, high stability and high capacity of the TMSs, as well as the more exposed electroactive sites and more favorable channels for ion transport brought by the good dispersion of TMSs nanoparticles prompted by the porous nanostructured surface constructed by RGO nanosheets, the synthesized CoS2/NiCo2S4/RGO nanohybrid exhibits excellent electrochemical energy storage performance with a high specific capacity of 133.6 mAh g−1 and outstanding rate capability. Additionally, the CoS2/NiCo2S4/RGO//N-RGO aqueous HSC assembled by CoS2/NiCo2S4/RGO electrode and as-prepared N-RGO electrode delivers a maximum energy density of 21.6 Wh kg−1, a power density of 7082.9 W kg−1, and an excellent ultra-long durability with 86.16 % capacity retention after 20,000 cycles. The novel CoS2/NiCo2S4/RGO nanohybrid with simple synthesis process and excellent energy storage performance is a promising alternative advanced electrode material in high-safety, sustainable and high-performance aqueous energy storage devices.

A Comprehensive Formulation of Aqueous Electrolytes for Low-Temperature Supercapacitors.

Safer-by-design and sustainable energy storage devices are envisioned to be among the required 2.0 solutions to satisfy the fast growing energy demands. Responding to this evolution cannot be freed from a global and synergetic approach to design the requisite electrolytes taking into account the toxicity, the eco-compatibility and the cost of their constituents. To target low-temperature applications, a non-toxic and cost-efficient eutectic system comprising LiNO3 in water with 1,3-propylene glycol as co-solvent was selected to design a ternary electrolyte with a wide liquid range. By using this electrolyte in an electrochemical double-layer capacitor (EDLC), the operating voltage of the device reaches an optimum of 2.0 V at -40 °C over more than 100 h of floating. Moreover, after being set up at 20 °C, the temperature resilience of the capacitance is near total, demonstrating thus a promising feature related to the suitable thermal and electrochemical behaviours of the tested EDLC devices.

Rational design of a novel MnO2-FeSe2 nanohybrid with nanowires/cubic architecture as promising supercapattery electrode materials

A promising MnO2-FeSe2 nanohybrid is reported for the first time by the wet-chemical assisted route and directly utilized as a synergistic electrode for supercapattery applications. The optimized electrochemical performance of the MnO2-FeSe2 nanohybrid is realized when tested for capacitive signature and active redox reactions. Testing for capacitive signature and active redox reactions reveals the MnO2-FeSe2 nanohybrid's enhanced electrochemical performance. The MnO2-FeSe2 nanohybrid has a greater capacitance due to the cyclic voltammetry's bigger enclosed loop area, higher current response, and longer discharge time frame. Also, due to the synergistic impact between the two pseudocapacitive materials in the three-mode assembly, the least resistance in the impedance plot was attained when compared with MnO2 and FeSe2 electrodes. Based on these striking results, MnO2-FeSe2||AC||KOH supercapattery displayed a highly stable performance (95.3% retention) at the highest current response when run for 10,000 repeated discharge-charge cycles. It achieved a high energy of 55.39 Wh/kg at the power delivery of 4320 W/kg by expanding the upper voltage cutoff to 1.7 V in an aqueous medium. Our research paves a new way to develop metal selenide nanohybrid electrodes with conventional pseudocapacitive materials that could efficiently boost the electrochemical properties of the parent materials owing to the synergistic effect. The acquired results displayed the potential growth of MnO2 and FeSe2 nanohybrid as the future active materials for sustainable and clean energy storage devices.

Advanced sustainable solid state energy storage devices based on FeOOH nanorod loaded carbon@PANI electrode: GCD cycling and TEM correlation

A cost-effective, environment-friendly polyaniline-wrapped activated carbon-FeOOH ternary composite electrode is developed by two steps facile method for the efficient and sustainable energy storage device. The HR-TEM analysis before and after cyclic stability (20 k cycles of charging-discharging) shows electrode structural stability and potentiality as an energy storage device. The ternary composite utilizes polyaniline (PANI) maximum, which reflects an increase in voltage window, and electrochemical performance. The voltammetry (cyclic) and galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) examination display specific capacitance of 213 F g−1 at 10 mV s−1 and 234 F g−1 at 2 mA sec−1 for 20 wt%. The drastic variation through EIS (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) in equivalent series resistance is seen by the nyquist plot before and after cycling. The specific capacitance is 234.5 F g−1 at 1 Ag−1 for 20 wt% PANI composite. The energy(Ed) and power density (Pd) of the device are 45 W h kg−1 and 5997 W kg−1 at 2 mA and 20 mA, respectively. The fabricated device shows very advanced capacity retention of up to 89% and coulombic efficiency of 100% till the last 20 k cycles with a stable potential window. The fabricated device can glow LED panels (consisting of 26 LEDs) for up to 5.30 min. The device retention profile and stable potential window show its advanced structural stability up to commercial-scale cycling, which signifies the additional role of PANI. The HR-TEM and electrochemical results after cyclic stability are in correlation.

Biologically inspired anthraquinone redox centers and biomass graphene for renewable colloidal gels toward ultrahigh-performance flexible micro-supercapacitors

Biomass carbon and small redox biomolecules are attractive materials for green, sustainable energy storage devices owing to their environmentally friendly, low-cost, scalable, and novel sources. However, most devices manufactured using these materials have low specific capacitance, poor cycle stability, short lifetime, complexity, and low precision of device fabrication. Herein, we report the directed self-assembly of mononuclear anthraquinone (MAQ) derivatives and porous lignin-based graphene oxide (PLGO) into a renewable colloidal gel through noncovalent interactions. These self-assembled gel electrode materials exhibited high capacitance (484.8 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1) and could be further printed as flexible micro-supercapacitors (FMSCs) with arbitrary patterns and a relatively high resolution on specific substrates. The FMSCs exhibited excellent areal capacitance (43.6 mF cm−2), energy and power densities (6.1 μWh cm−2 and 50 μW cm−2, respectively), and cycle stability (> 10,000 cycles). Furthermore, the printed FMSCs and integrated FMSC arrays exhibited remarkable flexibility while maintaining a stable capacitance. The proposed approach can be applied to other quinone biomolecules and biomass-based carbon materials. This study provides a basis for fabricating green and sustainable energy storage device architectures with high capacitance, long-term cycling, high scalability, and high precision.

Copper Indium Sulfide Enables Li‐CO2 Batteries with Boosted Reaction Kinetics and Cycling Stability

High energy density Li‐CO2 batteries have attracted much attention owing to the “two birds with one stone” feature in fixing greenhouse gas CO2 and providing renewable energy. However, poor reversibility of the discharge product Li2CO3 is one of the main problems that limit its application, resulting in poor cycling stability and severe polarization. Herein, copper indium sulfide (CIS), a semiconducting non‐precious metal sulfide, is fabricated as cathode catalysts for high‐performance Li‐CO2 batteries. Combined with the synergistic effect of bimetallic valence bonding and coordinated electron transfer, Li‐CO2 batteries using CIS cathodes exhibit high full specific discharge capacity, excellent rate capability and cycle stability, namely it delivers a high specific full discharge capacity of 8878 μAh cm−2, runs steadily from 10 to 100 μA cm−2, and performs a stable long‐term cycling behavior (>1050 h) under a high energy efficiency of 84% and a low charge voltage of approximately 3.4 V at 20 μA cm−2 within 100 μAh cm−2. In addition, a flexible Li‐CO2 pouch cell is constructed to reveal the potential of employing CIS to fabricate flexible high energy storage devices in practical applications. This work shows a promising development pathway toward next‐generation sustainable energy storage devices.

Sustainable Biomass-Derived Carbon Electrodes for Potassium and Aluminum Batteries: Conceptualizing the Key Parameters for Improved Performance.

The development of sustainable, safe, low-cost, high energy and density power-density energy storage devices is most needed to electrify our modern needs to reach a carbon-neutral society by ~2050. Batteries are the backbones of future sustainable energy sources for both stationary off-grid and mobile plug-in electric vehicle applications. Biomass-derived carbon materials are extensively researched as efficient and sustainable electrode/anode candidates for lithium/sodium-ion chemistries due to their well-developed tailored textures (closed pores and defects) and large microcrystalline interlayer spacing and therefore opens-up their potential applications in sustainable potassium and aluminum batteries. The main purpose of this perspective is to brief the use of biomass residues for the preparation of carbon electrodes for potassium and aluminum batteries annexed to the biomass-derived carbon physicochemical structures and their aligned electrochemical properties. In addition, we presented an outlook as well as some challenges faced in this promising area of research. We believe that this review enlightens the readers with useful insights and a reasonable understanding of issues and challenges faced in the preparation, physicochemical properties and application of biomass-derived carbon materials as anodes and cathode candidates for potassium and aluminum batteries, respectively. In addition, this review can further help material scientists to seek out novel electrode materials from different types of biomasses, which opens up new avenues in the fabrication/development of next-generation sustainable and high-energy density batteries.