A multifunctional artificial protective layer for producing an ultra-stable lithium metal anode in a commercial carbonate electrolyte

A multifunctional artificial protective layer is in situ fabricated on the surface of Li anode, which facilitates stable cycle of Li anode in carbonate electrolyte by forming a unique SEI and inducing homogeneous deposition of lithium ions.

Low-cost and high-power K4[Mn2Fe](PO4)2(P2O7) as a novel cathode with outstanding cyclability for K-ion batteries

K4[Mn2Fe](PO4)2(P2O7) exhibits outstanding power-capability and stable cycle performance, with an average operation voltage of ∼3.5 V (vs. K+/K).

Complete encapsulation of sulfur through interfacial energy control of sulfur solutions for high-performance Li−S batteries

Complete encapsulation of high-content sulfur in porous carbon is crucial for high performance Li−S batteries. To this end, unlike conventional approaches to control the pore of carbon hosts, we demonstrate controlling the interfacial energy of the solution in the process of penetrating the sulfur-dissolved solution. We unveil, experimentally and theoretically, that the interfacial energy with the carbon surface of the sulfur solution is the key to driving complete encapsulation of sulfur. In the infiltration of sulfur solutions withN-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, we achieve complete encapsulation of sulfur, even up to 85 wt %. The sulfur fully encapsulated cathode achieves markedly high volumetric capacity and stable cycle operation in its Li−S battery applications. We achieve a volumetric capacity of 855 mAh/cm3at 0.2C and a capacity reduction of 0.071% per cycle up to 300 cycles at 1C.

Activated Carbon/MnO2 Composites as Electrode for High Performance Supercapacitors

Activated carbon (AC) was synthesized with various weight ratios of manganese dioxide (MO) through a simple hydrothermal approach. The electrochemical performance of the synthesized activated carbon/MnO2 composites was investigated. The effect of the activated carbon/MnO2 (AM) ratio on the electrochemical properties of the activated carbon/MnO2 composites and the pore structure was also examined. The results show that the specific capacitance of the activated carbon material has been improved after the addition of MO. The as-synthesized composite material exhibits specific capacitance of 60.3 F g−1 at 1 A g−1, as well as stable cycle performance and 99.6% capacitance retention over 5000 cycles.