Light-Material Interactions Using Laser and Flash Sources for Energy Conversion and Storage Applications

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the progress in light-material interactions(LMIs),focusing on lasers and flash lights for energy conversion and storage applications.We discuss intricate LMI parameters such as light sources,interaction time,and fluence to elucidate their importance in material processing.In addition,this study covers various light-induced photothermal and photochemical processes ranging from melting,crystallization,and ablation to doping and synthesis,which are essential for developing energy materials and devices.Finally,we present extensive energy conversion and storage applications demonstrated by LMI technologies,including energy harvesters,sensors,capacitors,and batteries.Despite the several challenges associated with LMIs,such as complex mechanisms,and high-degrees of freedom,we believe that substantial contributions and potential for the commercialization of future energy systems can be achieved by advancing optical technologies through comprehensive academic research and multidisciplinary collaborations.

Flexible mica films coated by magnetron sputtered insulating layers for high-temperature capacitive energy storage

High-temperature energy storage performance of dielectric capacitors is cru-cial for the next generation of power electronic devices.However,conduction losses rise sharply at elevated temperature,limiting the application of energy storage capacitors.Here,the mica films magnetron sputtered by different insulating layers are specifically investigated,which exhibit the excellent high-temperature energy storage performance.The experimental results revealed that the PbZrO3/Al2O3/PbZrO3(PZO/AO/PZO)interface insulating layers can effec-tively reduce the high-temperature leakage current and conduction loss of the composite films.Consequently,the ultrahigh energy storage density(Wrec)and charge‒discharge efficiency(η)can be achieved simultaneously in the flexi-ble mica-based composite films.Especially,PZO/AO/PZO/mica/PZO/AO/PZO(PAPMPAP)films possess excellent Wrec of 27.5 J/cm3 andηof 87.8%at 200◦C,which are significantly better than currently reported high-temperature capaci-tive energy storage dielectric materials.Together with outstanding power density and electrical cycling stability,the flexible films in this work have great appli-cation potential in high-temperature energy storage capacitors.Moreover,the magnetron sputtering technology can deposit large-area nanoscale insulating layers on the surface of capacitor films,which can provide technical support for the industrial production of capacitors.

Heterostructures in two-dimensional colloidal metal chalcogenides:Synthetic fundamentals and applications

As a new class of two-dimensional materials, two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures constructed from metal chalcogenides (MCs) have been gaining tremendous attention due to their unprecedented physical and chemical phenomena, mainly originated from their distinct structural features such as composition, architecture type, spatial arrangement of each component, crystal structure, exposed facet and interface, dimensionality in their heterostructures. Towards the realization of practical applications, synthetic approaches need a rational design with a variety of architecture types including laterally-combined, vertically-aligned, and conformally-coated 2D MC heterostructures. Among various synthetic routes, solution-based synthesis is thought of as an alternative to fabrication through high-cost setups since it can control those structural features in a cheap fashion. This review presents recent progress on solution-based synthesis to produce various 2D MC heterostructures with a focus on the synthetic fundamentals in terms of thermodynamic and kinetic aspects related to the growth mechanism. Four different synthetic approaches are reviewed: seeded growth, cation exchange reaction, colloidal atomic layer deposition, direct synthesis including one-step process and modified electrochemical method. We also provide some representative applications of 2D MC heterostructures and their hybrid composites in various fields including optoelectronics, thermoelectrics, catalysis, and battery. Finally, we offer an insight into challenges and future directions in a synthetic improvement of 2D MC heterostructures.