The etching strategy of zinc anode to enable high performance zinc-ion batteries

Zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs)are considered to be one of the most promising candidates to replace lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)due to the high theoretical capacity,low cost and intrinsic safety.However,zinc dendrites,hydrogen evolution reaction,surface passivation and other side reactions will inevitably occur during the charging and discharging process of Zn anode,which will seriously affect the cycle stability of the battery and hinder its practical application.The etching strategy of Zn anode has attracted wide attention because of its simple operation and broad commercial prospects,and the etched Zn anode can effectively improve its electrochemical performance.However,there is no comprehensive review of the etching strategy of Zn anode.This review first summarizes the challenges faced by Zn anode,then puts forward the etching mechanisms and properties of acid,salt and other etchants.Finally,based on the above discussion,the challenges and opportunities of Zn anode etching strategy are proposed.

Highly Integrated Perovskite Solar Cells-Based Photorechargeable System with Excellent Photoelectric Conversion and Energy Storage Ability

Perovskite solar cells have emerged as a promising technology for renewable energy generation.However,the successful integration of perovskite solar cells with energy storage devices to establish high-efficiency and long-term stable photorechargeable systems remains a persistent challenge.Issues such as electrical mismatch and restricted integration levels contribute to elevated internal resistance,leading to suboptimal overall efficiency(η_(overall))within photorechargeable systems.Additionally,the compatibility of perovskite solar cells with electrolytes from energy storage devices poses another significant concern regarding their stability.To address these limitations,we demonstrate a highly integrated photorechargeable system that combines perovskite solar cells with a solid-state zinc-ion hybrid capacitor using a streamlined process.Our study employs a novel ultraviolet-cured ionogel electrolyte to prevent moisture-induced degradation of the perovskite layer in integrated photorechargeable system,enabling perovskite solar cells to achieve maximum power conversion efficiencies and facilitating the monolithic design of the system with minimal energy loss.By precisely matching voltages between the two modules and leveraging the superior energy storage efficiency,our integrated photorechargeable system achieves a remarkableηoverall of 10.01%while maintaining excellent cycling stability.This innovative design and the comprehensive investigations of the dynamic photocharging process in monolithic systems,not only offer a reliable and enduring power source but also provide guidelines for future development of self-power off-grid electronics.

Fast and Balanced Charge Transport Enabled by Solution-Processed Metal Oxide Layers for Efficient and Stable Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells

Metal oxide charge transport materials are preferable for realizing long-term stable and potentially low-cost perovskite solar cells(PSCs).However,due to some technical difficulties(e.g.,intricate fabrication protocols,high-temperature heating process,incompatible solvents,etc.),it is still challenging to achieve efficient and reliable all-metal-oxide-based devices.Here,we developed efficient inverted PSCs(IPSCs)based on solution-processed nickel oxide(NiO_(x))and tin oxide(SnO_(2))nanoparticles,working as hole and electron transport materials respectively,enabling a fast and balanced charge transfer for photogenerated charge carriers.Through further understanding and optimizing the perovskite/metal oxide interfaces,we have realized an outstanding power conversion efficiency(PCE)of 23.5%(the bandgap of the perovskite is 1.62 eV),which is the highest efficiency among IPSCs based on all-metal-oxide charge transport materials.Thanks to these stable metal oxides and improved interface properties,ambient stability(retaining 95%of initial PCE after 1 month),thermal stability(retaining 80%of initial PCE after 2 weeks)and light stability(retaining 90%of initial PCE after 1000 hours aging)of resultant devices are enhanced significantly.In addition,owing to the low-temperature fabrication procedures of the entire device,we have obtained a PCE of over 21%for flexible IPSCs with enhanced operational stability.

Self-assisted stereospecific polymerization of unmasked polar 4-methylthio-1-butene

Stereospecific polymerization of polar olefins has always been an attractive but challenging project because the Lewis basic polar groups of monomers are usually poisonous to the Lewis acidic metal centers of the catalysts. In this contribution,thiophene-fused cyclopentadienyl scandium complexes 1-3 were successfully synthesized. Combined with alkylaluminium and organoborate, these complexes showed extremely low activity and no selectivity for 1-hexene polymerization. Surprisingly,highly stereo-selective coordination polymerization of unprotected polar 4-methylthio-1-butene has been achieved in high activity for the first time under the same polymerization conditions. High-molecular-weight(M_n=110×10~3) and perfectly syndiotactic(rrrr>99%) poly(4-methylthio-1-butene)(P(MTB)) was afforded. Thus the methylthio-group-assisted mechanism that the unmasked methylthio group promoted the polymerization through σ-π chelation to the active scandium center together with the vinyl group was proposed. Moreover, the methylsulfonyl functionalized syndiotactic poly(1-butene) was also easily prepared by the oxidation of P(MTB). These results provided a new route for the synthesis of functionalized stereo-regular polyolefins.