Viable Energy Storage System Research Articles

High-Capacity Zinc Anode Enabled by a Recyclable Biomass Bamboo Membrane Separator.

Aqueous zinc ion batteries have gained attention as viable energy storage systems, yet the occurrence of detrimental side reactions and Zn dendrite formation undermines the efficiency of Zn anodes. Controlling water activity have proven to be an effective strategy in mitigating these challenges. However, strategies such as electrolyte design and electrode protection layer show weakness to varying degrees. Here, a new oxygen-functionalized biomass bamboo membrane separator (denoted as BM) is proposed to restrain the activity of water molecules. This BM separator features a unique, multi-tiered 2D interlayer that facilitates rapid ion diffusion. Additionally, the oxygen functional groups of the BM separator can form hydrogen bonds with water molecules, effectively transforming water molecules from a free state to a bound state. Consequently, the Zn/Zn asymmetric coin cell using BM can work at the ultrahigh rate and capacity of 30 mA cm-2 and 30mAhcm-2 for more than 80h while its counterparts using glass fibercan barely work. Moreover, full cells using BM separator exhibited a capacity retention of 89.7% after 1000 cycles at 10Ag-1. This study reveals the important influence of water-limited activity on Zn anode protection and provides an avenue for the design of novel separator.

Centrifugal Jet-Spun, Non-Woven Chitin Fiber Separator for High-Performance Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

Although lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are key prevailing energy storage devices, alternative battery technologies based on earth-abundant materials are being sought as a viable energy storage systems that could possibly replace LIBs. Among several alternatives is aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs), which are more eco-friendly, cost-effective, and even safer. Despite their potential advantages, the development of appropriate separators for ZIBs has been elusive, and the issue of zinc metal dendrites on the negative electrode remains a critical challenge.In this work, we introduces a novel approach to prepare a non-woven spun fiber mat made of chitin, an abundant natural polymer, which could function as a separator for AZIBs. In particular, we use centrifugal jet-spinning (CJS) to fabricate the chitin separator. The use of chitin as a separator offers several advantages over existing ZIB separators, such as high stability, improved capacity, environmental friendliness, and cost-effectiveness. We demonstrate that the chitin separator can be applied in AZIB cells based on symmetric and full cell models, which showed stable cell operation for long-term cycling. Figure 1

Effect of alkali metal cations in alkaline iron battery electrodes

Abstract Rechargeable alkaline iron batteries (e.g. Ni-Fe and Fe-air) have been extensively studied recently as viable energy storage systems for renewable energy sources. However, inherent issues such as passivation of the iron and parasitic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) on the electrode surface limit their full capability. Multiple approaches to improving iron electrode performance have been conducted, few of which focused on electrolyte composition. While alkali metal (AM) cations on the electrolyte do not directly participate in the electrochemical reactions, their intrinsic characteristics can dictate the performance of the electrode. Investigating the interface interactions and electrical double layer (EDL) structure can provide a deeper insight into the operation of iron electrodes in an alkaline solution. In this work, we investigated the effect of alkali metal cations (Li+, Na+, K+, Cs+) in the electrolyte solution in inhibiting passivation and HER on electrodeposited iron on carbon paper (Fe/CP) electrodes. The electrochemical measurements show that the iron redox and HER activities of the electrode increased with increasing cation size in the electrolyte. The non-covalent interactions between hydrated alkali metal cations and adsorbed OH species resulted to the formation of quasi-adsorbed clusters which can block active sites on the electrode surface. Furthermore, the concentration of these clusters decreases with increasing cation size which resulted to higher EDL capacitance and ECSA values of the electrode. The results of this work provide a better understanding of the surface reactions on iron electrodes and can help in developing novel techniques for suppressing passivation and parasitic HER on rechargeable alkaline iron batteries.

Electronic redistribution and fast delivery enabled by Co0.5Ni0.5Te2 grafting 3D MXene heterostructure for accelerating High-Durability sulfur redox kinetics

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are regarded as the most commercially viable energy storage system, but the severe shuttling behavior and sluggish reaction kinetics hinder cycling stability and lifespan. Herein, a brand-new catalytic 3D Co0.5Ni0.5Te2/MXene heterostructure is constructed by uniformly grafting bimetallic telluride nanoparticles onto the MXene nanosheets, inhibiting the restacking of MXene nanosheets. Noticeably, bimetallic elements (Ni/Co) are crosslinking agents that synergistically fulfil and regulate 3D macroporous structure, thus enriching sulfophilic and lithiophilic interactions. The generated 3D porous Co0.5Ni0.5Te2/MXene heterostructure exhibits abundant polar active sites, enhances the chemical adsorption of polysulfides, reduces the transform energy barrier of redox reactions, and provides an accelerated pump for rapid Li+ diffusion at hetero-interface, as sufficient studied by performance analysis, theoretical calculations, and in-situ Raman. Resultantly, the Co0.5Ni0.5Te2/MXene-based batteries exhibit excellent cyclability with a minimum decay ratio of 0.0227 % per cycle during 500 cycles at 1 C, realizing an appealing areal capacity of 8.46 mAh cm−2 even with a high sulfur loading (9.21 mg cm−2) and a lean electrolyte/sulfur ratio (E/S = 6.2 µL mg−1). This work provides an elaborate designed strategy and mechanism insights for simultaneously blocking polysulfides shuttling and enhancing conversion kinetics in Li–S batteries.

Halide Layer Cathodes for Compatible and Fast-Charged Halides-Based All-Solid-State Li Metal Batteries.

Insertion-type compounds based on oxides and sulfides have been widely identified and well-studied as cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries. However, halides have rarely been used due to their high solubility in organic liquid electrolytes. Here, we reveal the insertion electrochemistry of VX3 (X=Cl, Br, I) by introducing a compatible halide solid-state electrolyte with a wide electrochemical stability window. X-ray absorption near-edge structure analyses reveal a two-step lithiation process and the structural transition of typical VCl3 . Fast Li+ insertion/extraction in the layered VX3 active materials and favorable interface guaranteed by the compatible electrode-electrolyte design enables high rate capability and stable operation of all-solid-state Li-VX3 batteries. The findings from this study will contribute to developing intercalation insertion electrochemistry of halide materials and exploring novel electrode materials in viable energy storage systems.

Halide Layer Cathodes for Compatible and Fast‐Charged Halides‐Based All‐Solid‐State Li Metal Batteries

AbstractInsertion‐type compounds based on oxides and sulfides have been widely identified and well‐studied as cathode materials in lithium‐ion batteries. However, halides have rarely been used due to their high solubility in organic liquid electrolytes. Here, we reveal the insertion electrochemistry of VX3 (X=Cl, Br, I) by introducing a compatible halide solid‐state electrolyte with a wide electrochemical stability window. X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure analyses reveal a two‐step lithiation process and the structural transition of typical VCl3. Fast Li+ insertion/extraction in the layered VX3 active materials and favorable interface guaranteed by the compatible electrode‐electrolyte design enables high rate capability and stable operation of all‐solid‐state Li‐VX3 batteries. The findings from this study will contribute to developing intercalation insertion electrochemistry of halide materials and exploring novel electrode materials in viable energy storage systems.

Energy storage sizing and enhanced dispatch strategy with temperature and safety considerations: A techno‐economic analysis

AbstractMalaysia signed Paris agreement in 2015 as global response to climate change and committed to lower the greenhouse gases emissions by 45% by 2030. Under this national initiative, Malaysia government planned a series of large scale solar (LSS) projects and regulated by Energy Commission. It is aimed to achieve installed capacity of 1 GW by 2020. One of the main drawbacks for using solar energy is the intermittent issue in solar power generation. This will affect the power quality and reliability of the power grid especially in the LSS systems. This article aims to identify and optimize the most technically and economically viable energy storage system (ESS) for selected locations among the ongoing mega projects. The location selection for this study is based on the largest solar capacity planned for Peninsular Malaysia. This project involved development of hybrid scheme including Flywheel and nine different types of battery at six locations in Malaysia using Energy Commission Malaysia's data. Comprehensive power systems have been developed with different storage options applied to selected locations. This is followed by extensive techno‐economic evaluation using net present cost, levelized cost of electricity including costs of ESS, operation & maintenance, initial capital investment, replacement cost, revenue from ESS, annual throughput, and so on. Comparative studies under two different dispatch strategies with local contextualized data for LSS projects in Malaysia have been carried out. The optimal ESS type both technical and economically has been identified. In addition to this, performance of battery ESS with and without temperature consideration has been evaluated. Last, data from a net metering scheme is used to analyze the ESS types that exhibit best performance. Safety concerns related to these ESS types have been provided. Last, this article also presents the adaptability and replicability of the proposed methodology in countries that planned for LSS with local contextualized data.

A Review on the Current Progress and Challenges of 2D Layered Transition Metal Dichalcogenides as Li/Na‐ion Battery Anodes

AbstractEnergy storage systems play a crucial role to effectively utilize the recurrent renewable energy sources. In the last few decades, lithium‐ion battery (LIB) has emerged as the most convenient and viable energy storage systems and consequently, sodium‐ion battery (SIB) has drawn most of the attention of researchers as a potential alternative to LIB, especially in grid storage. Further development on LIB and SIB requires detection of novel electrode materials, precisely the anode. Captivating physico‐chemical properties and unique structure of layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) nanostructured materials have been rendered supremely appealing to the electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices researchers. In this review, synopsis of current state‐of‐art LIB and SIB anode materials, brief discussion on the different crystal structures and the common synthesis process of the TMDs have been articulated. Apart from these, detailed discussion on the electrochemical reaction and battery performance of different TMDs have been summarized and discussed in this review. The individuality of this review paper compared to the other reported review papers has also been highlighted in details. Finally, the challenges and limitations of the current TMDs materials, and outlook for the future improvement of TMDs in the energy sector have been proposed.

Metal–organic-frameworks-engaged formation of Co0.85Se@C nanoboxes embedded in carbon nanofibers film for enhanced potassium-ion storage

Potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) are considered as viable energy storage system due to the abundance and low cost of potassium. However, their development is still hampered by the lack of suitable electrode materials that can withstand the structural deterioration caused during intercalation/deintercalation of large potassium ions. Herein, a flexible and freestanding anode material consisting of Co0.85Se@carbon nanoboxes (Co0.85Se@C) embedded in carbon nanofibers films is fabricated through a metal‒organic-framework-engaged electrospinning strategy coupled to a one-step confined carbonization-selenidation process. The rationally designed electrode with high mass loading of active material offers attractive structural features, particularly Co0.85Se@C nanoboxes with large surface area and requisite void space to accommodate the large volumetric expansion for boosted cycling stability. Moreover, the robust conductive carbon nanofiber network not only improves the electronic conductivity, but also stabilizes the integral structure upon repeated K+ insertion/deinsertion. As a result, this unique nanoarchitecture demonstrates excellent cycling stability as an anode material for PIBs, with a high reversible capacity of 299 mA h g−1 at 1 A g−1 after 400 cycles and achieves remarkable rate performance with a specific capacity of 166 mA h g−1 at 5 A g−1. Most importantly, it is demonstrated that increasing the areal loading of active material in the electrode through a layer-by-layer stacking configuration further improves the energy density of the battery.

Lithium Metal Battery Using LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4 Olivine Cathode and Pyrrolidinium-Based Ionic Liquid Electrolyte.

Ionic liquids (ILs) represent the most suitable electrolyte media for a safe application in high-energy lithium metal batteries because of their remarkable thermal stability promoted by the room-temperature molten salt nature. In this work, we exploit this favorable characteristic by combining a pyrrolidinium-based electrolyte and a LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4 mixed olivine cathode in a lithium metal cell. The IL solution, namely N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (Pyr14TFSI) dissolving LiTFSI, is designed as viscous electrolyte, particularly suited for cells operating at temperatures higher than 40 °C, as demonstrated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The olivine electrode, characterized by remarkable structural stability at high temperature, is studied in the lithium metal cell using the Pyr14TFSI–LiTFSI medium above the room temperature. The Li/Pyr14TFSI–LiTFSI/LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4 cell delivers a capacity of about 100 mA h g–1 through two voltage plateaus at about 3.5 and 4.1 V, ascribed to the iron and manganese redox reaction, respectively. The cycling stability, satisfactory levels of the energy density, and a relevant safety content suggest the cell studied herein as a viable energy storage system for future applications.

Design and Synthesis of Hierarchical SeS2/C Nanocomposite Cathodes for High Performance Lithium Batteries with Ether-Based Electrolytes

Lithium/sulfur (Li/S) batteries have attracted much attention as one of the most promising next-generation energy storage systems due to the high theoretical specific capacity (1,675 mAh g−1), low cost, natural abundance and environmentally benign nature of sulfur.1 However, the poor electrical conductivity of elemental S (and its reaction product Li2S) often results in low utilization and capacity of S, thus insufficient specific energy of Li/S batteries.2 Selenium (Se), as a congener of S, has been studied as an alternative to S, and exhibited much improved electrode kinetics due in part to higher conductivity of Se than S.3 , 4 However, the high cost, toxic nature and lower gravimetric capacity of Se hinder the adoption of Li/Se batteries. Thus, it is crucial to rationally combine the complementary properties of Se and S for practically viable energy storage systems. Selenium disulfide (SeS2), with a theoretical specific capacity of 1342 mAh g−1, is a promising novel cathode material because of its attractive merits beyond individual S and Se. In this report, we first designed and investigated hierarchical network architectures of carbon as effective hosts for SeS2. By a facile two-step heat treatment method, we synthesized SeS2@KetjenBlack 600 (KB600) nanocomposites in which amorphous SeS2 were uniformly infused/distributed inside porous carbon while creating the carbon-rich surface layer. This unique hierarchical structure with well-interconnected carbon network can effectively confine dissolved SeS2 as well as provide excellent transportation pathways of both Li-ions and electrons. To further enhance the rate capability as well as protect lithium metal anode in Li/SeS2 batteries, we employed LiNO3 and ionic liquids (N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, Py14TFSI) as additives in ether-based electrolytes. It was observed that LiNO3 contributed to higher discharge capacity at a given discharge/charge rate while Py14TFSI was beneficial in suppressing the dissolution of polysulfides/polyselenides of Li/SeS2 batteries. Under optimized composition of electrolytes, hierarchical SeS2@KB600 electrodes showed good initial discharge capacity of 873 mAh g−1 at 250 mA g−1 and high initial Coulombic Efficiency (CE) of 98.3 %. The effects of LiNO3 and Py14TFSI on the electrochemical performance of Li/SeS2 batteries were further correlated with the changes in chemical composition of Li metal surface after cycling by combined electrochemical and microstructural analysis. Symmetrical Li/Li cells were also assembled in order to investigate the chemical/morphological stability of Li metal with various electrolytes in this work. Reference: Song, M. K.; Zhang, Y.; Cairns, E. J. Nano Lett 2013, 13, (12), 5891-9.Fang, R.; Zhao, S.; Sun, Z.; Wang, D. W.; Cheng, H. M.; Li, F. Adv Mater 2017.Eftekhari, A. Sustainable Energy Fuels 2017, 1, (1), 14-29.Cui, Y.; Abouimrane, A.; Lu, J.; Bolin, T.; Ren, Y.; Weng, W.; Sun, C.; Maroni, V. A.; Heald, S. M.; Amine, K. J Am Chem Soc 2013, 135, (21), 8047-56.

High-Voltage Symmetric Supercapacitor Based on 2D Titanium Carbide (MXene, Ti2CTx)/Carbon Nanosphere Composites in a Neutral Aqueous Electrolyte

The energy storage performance of one of the lightest-known MXenes, Ti2CTx (MX) combined with carbon nanospheres (CNS) has been investigated as a symmetric electrode system in an aqueous electrolyte (1 M Li2SO4). The energy storage properties were interrogated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic cycling with potential limitation (GCPL), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and voltage-holding tests. The combined material (MX/CNS) demonstrated a higher specific capacity compared to each of the individual components. The material was fabricated with relatively high and low mass loadings, assembled into a symmetric device and performance compared. Specific capacitance, specific power and specific energy for the lower electrode mass loading of 180 F⋅g−1, 37.6 kW⋅kg−1 and 14.1 W⋅h⋅kg−1 were all higher than 86 F⋅g−1, 20.1 kW⋅kg−1 and 6.7 W⋅h⋅kg−1 for the higher mass loading. A wide voltage window of 1.5 V was obtained, but with limited long-term cycling behavior, suggesting the need for future improvement. Mathematical modelling and simulation of the supercapacitor showed good correlation with the experimental results, validating the model. The results reveal the potential of the Ti2CTx to be employed as a viable energy storage system for lightweight applications.

Lithium battery chemistries enabled by solid-state electrolytes

Solid-state electrolytes are attracting increasing interest for electrochemical energy storage technologies. In this Review, we provide a background overview and discuss the state of the art, ion-transport mechanisms and fundamental properties of solid-state electrolyte materials of interest for energy storage applications. We focus on recent advances in various classes of battery chemistries and systems that are enabled by solid electrolytes, including all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries and emerging solid-electrolyte lithium batteries that feature cathodes with liquid or gaseous active materials (for example, lithium–air, lithium–sulfur and lithium–bromine systems). A low-cost, safe, aqueous electrochemical energy storage concept with a ‘mediator-ion’ solid electrolyte is also discussed. Advanced battery systems based on solid electrolytes would revitalize the rechargeable battery field because of their safety, excellent stability, long cycle lives and low cost. However, great effort will be needed to implement solid-electrolyte batteries as viable energy storage systems. In this context, we discuss the main issues that must be addressed, such as achieving acceptable ionic conductivity, electrochemical stability and mechanical properties of the solid electrolytes, as well as a compatible electrolyte/electrode interface. This Review details recent advances in battery chemistries and systems enabled by solid electrolytes, including all-solid-state lithium-ion, lithium–air, lithium–sulfur and lithium–bromine batteries, as well as an aqueous battery concept with a mediator-ion solid electrolyte.

Nanotubular metal–insulator–metal capacitor arrays for energy storage

Nanostructured devices have the potential to serve as the basis for next-generation energy systems that make use of densely packed interfaces and thin films. One approach to making such devices is to build multilayer structures of large area inside the open volume of a nanostructured template. Here, we report the use of atomic layer deposition to fabricate arrays of metal-insulator-metal nanocapacitors in anodic aluminium oxide nanopores. These highly regular arrays have a capacitance per unit planar area of approximately 10 microF cm-2 for 1-microm-thick anodic aluminium oxide and approximately 100 microF cm-2 for 10-microm-thick anodic aluminium oxide, significantly exceeding previously reported values for metal-insulator-metal capacitors in porous templates. It should be possible to scale devices fabricated with this approach to make viable energy storage systems that provide both high energy density and high power density.