Polymer engineering for electrodes of aqueous zinc ion batteries

With the increasing demand for scalable and cost-effective electrochemical energy storage,aqueous zinc ion batteries(AZIBs)have a broad application prospect as an inexpensive,efficient,and naturally secure energy storage device.However,the limitations suffered by AZIBs,including volume expansion and active materials dissolution of the cathode,electrochemical corrosion,irreversible side reactions,zinc dendrites of the anode,have seriously decelerated the civilianization process of AZIBs.Currently,polymers have tremendous superiority for application in AZIBs attributed to their exceptional chemical stability,tunable structure,high energy density and outstanding mechanical properties.Considering the expanding applications of AZIBs and the superiority of polymers,this comprehensive paper meticulously reviews the benefits of utilizing polymeric applied to cathodes and anodes,respectively.To begin with,with adjustable structure as an entry point,the correlation between polymer structure and the function of energy storage as well as optimization is deeply investigated in respect to the mechanism.Then,depending on the diversity of properties and structures,the development of polymers in AZIBs is summarized,including conductive polymers,redox polymers as well as carbon composite polymers for cathode and polyvinylidene fluoride-,carbonyl-,amino-,nitrile-based polymers for anode,and a comprehensive evaluation of the shortcomings of these strategies is provided.Finally,an outlook highlights some of the challenges posed by the application of polymers and offers insights into the potential future direction of polymers in AZIBs.It is designed to provide a thorough reference for researchers and developers working on polymer for AZIBs.

Covalent Organic Framework with 3D Ordered Channel and Multi-Functional Groups Endows Zn Anode with Superior Stability

Achieving a highly robust zinc(Zn)metal anode is extremely important for improving the performance of aqueous Zn-ion batteries(AZIBs)for advancing“carbon neutrality”society,which is hampered by the uncontrollable growth of Zn dendrite and severe side reactions including hydrogen evolution reaction,corrosion,and passivation,etc.Herein,an interlayer containing fluorinated zincophilic covalent organic framework with sulfonic acid groups(COF-S-F)is developed on Zn metal(Zn@COF-S-F)as the artificial solid electrolyte interface(SEI).Sulfonic acid group(-SO_(3)H)in COF-S-F can effectively ameliorate the desolvation process of hydrated Zn ions,and the three-dimensional channel with fluoride group(-F)can provide interconnected channels for the favorable transport of Zn ions with ion-confinement effects,endowing Zn@COF-S-F with dendrite-free morphology and suppressed side reactions.Consequently,Zn@COF-S-F symmetric cell can stably cycle for 1,000 h with low average hysteresis voltage(50.5 m V)at the current density of 1.5 m A cm^(-2).Zn@COF-S-F|Mn O_(2)cell delivers the discharge specific capacity of 206.8 m Ah g^(-1)at the current density of 1.2 A g^(-1)after 800 cycles with high-capacity retention(87.9%).Enlightening,building artificial SEI on metallic Zn surface with targeted design has been proved as the effective strategy to foster the practical application of high-performance AZIBs.

Stabilizing zinc anode using zeolite imidazole framework functionalized separator for durable aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries(AZIBs) hold great promise as a viable alternative to lithium-ion batteries owing to their high energy density and environmental friendliness.However,AZIBs are consistently plagued by the formation of zinc dendrites and concurrent side reactions,which significantly diminish their overall service life,In this study,the glass fiber separator(GF) is modified using zeolite imidazole salt framework-8(ZIF-8),enabling the development of efficient AZIBs.ZIF-8,which is abundant in nitrogen content,efficiently regulates the desolvation of [Zn(H_(2)O)_(6)]^(2+) to inhibit hydrogen production.Moreover,it possesses abundant nanochannels that facilitate the uniform deposition of Zn~(2+) via a localized action,thereby hindering the formation of dendrites.The insulating properties of ZIF-8 help prevent Zn^(2+) and water from trapping electron reduction at the layer surface,which reduces corrosion of the zinc anode.Consequently,ZIF-8-GF achieves the even transport of Zn^(2+) and regulates the homogeneous deposition along the Zn(002) crystal surface,thus significantly enhancing the electrochemical performance of the AZIBs,In particular,the Zn|Zn symmetric cell with the ZIF-8-GF separator delivers a stable cycle life at0.5 mA cm^(-2) of 2300 h.The Zn|ZIF-8-GF|MnO_(2) cell exhibits reduced voltage polarization while maintaining a capacity retention rate(93.4%) after 1200 cycles at 1.2 A g^(-1) The unique design of the modified diaphragm provides a new approach to realizing high-performance AZIBs.

Multiple-dimensioned defect engineering for graphite felt electrode of vanadium redox flow battery

The scarcity of wettability,insufficient active sites,and low surface area of graphite felt(GF)have long been suppressing the performance of vanadium redox flow batteries(VRFBs).Herein,an ultra-homogeneous multipledimensioned defect,including nano-scale etching and atomic-scale N,O codoping,was used to modify GF by the molten salt system.NH_(4)Cl and KClO_(3) were added simultaneously to the system to obtain porous N/O co-doped electrode(GF/ON),where KClO_(3) was used to ultra-homogeneously etch,and O-functionalize electrode,and NH4Cl was used as N dopant,respectively.GF/ON presents better electrochemical catalysis for VO_(2)+/VO_(2)+ and V3+/V2+ reactions than only O-functionalized electrodes(GF/O)and GF.The enhanced electrochemical properties are attributed to an increase in active sites,surface area,and wettability,as well as the synergistic effect of N and O,which is also supported by the density functional theory calculations.Further,the cell using GF/ON shows higher discharge capacity,energy efficiency,and stability for cycling performance than the pristine cell at 140 mA cm^(−2) for 200 cycles.Moreover,the energy efficiency of the modified cell is increased by 9.7% from 55.2% for the pristine cell at 260 mA cm^(−2).Such an ultra-homogeneous etching with N and O co-doping through“boiling”molten salt medium provides an effective and practical application potential way to prepare superior electrodes for VRFB.

Regulating interfacial behavior of zinc metal anode via metal-organic framework functionalized separator

Aqueous zinc ion batteries(AZIBs)are one of the promising energy storage devices.However,uncontrolled dendrite and side reactions have seriously hindered its further application.In this study,the metal-organic framework(MOF)functionalized glass fiber separator(GF-PFC-31)was used to regulate interfacial behavior of zinc metal anode,enabling the development of high-performance AZIBs.In PFC-31,there areπ-πinteractions between two adjacent benzene rings with a spacing of 3.199 A.This spacing can block the passage of[Zn(H_(2)O)_6]^(2+)(8.6 A in diameter)through the GF-PFC-31 separator to a certain extent,which promotes the deposition process of Zn ions.In addition,the sulfonic acid group(-S03H)contained in GF-PFC-31 can form a hydrogen bonding network with H_(2)O,which can provide a desolvation effect and reduce the side reaction.Consequently,GF-PFC-31 separator achieves uniform deposition of Zn ions.The Zn‖GF-PFC-31‖Zn symmetric cell exhibits stable cycle life(3000 h at 1.2 mA cm^(-2),2000 h at 0.3 mA cm^(-2),and 2000 h at 5.0 mA cm^(-2)),and Zn‖GF-PFC-31‖MnO_(2) full cell with GF-PFC-31 separator can cycle for 1000 cycles at 1.2 A g^(-1)with capacity retention rate of 82.5%.This work provides a promising method to achieve high-performance AZIBs.

Recent advances and perspectives of zinc metal-free anodes for zinc ion batteries

Zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs) are recognized as potential energy storage devices due to their advantages of low cost, high energy density, and environmental friendliness. However, zinc anodes are subject to unavoidable zinc dendrites, passivation, corrosion, and hydrogen evolution reactions during the charging and discharging of batteries, becoming obstacles to the practical application of ZIBs. Appropriate zinc metal-free anodes provide a higher working potential than metallic zinc anodes, effectively solving the problems of zinc dendrites, hydrogen evolution, and side reactions during the operation of metallic zinc anodes. The improvement in the safety and cycle life of batteries creates conditions for further commercialization of ZIBs. Therefore, this work systematically introduces the research progress of zinc metal-free anodes in “rocking chair” ZIBs. Zinc metal-free anodes are mainly discussed in four categories: transition metal oxides,transition metal sulfides, MXene(two dimensional transition metal carbide) composites, and organic compounds, with discussions on their properties and zinc storage mechanisms. Finally, the outlook for the development of zinc metal-free anodes is proposed. This paper is expected to provide a reference for the further promotion of commercial rechargeable ZIBs.

Complexation process and binding parameters of curcumin and short amylose with V7-type helix structure

Pre-formed V7-type short amylose(SA)could interact with curcumin to form inclusion complex(IC)thereby to improve the stability of curcumin.However,the complexation mechanism of V7-type SA and curcumin is not clear,which limit the improvement of inclusion efficiency.To obtain a starch nanocarrier with high loading capacity,the encapsulation process and interaction parameters of V7-type SA-curcumin IC was studied.The analysis results demonstrated that stoichiometric ratio value of the SA-curcumin complex was around 1.V7-type SA performed excellently in the delivery of curcumin attributing to their high loading capacity(over 20%).It was found that curcumin could enter into the pre-formed helical cavity of SA to form an IC.The conformation change of SA caused the reduction in the interaction ratio in the last 20 ns of simulation.However,SA and curcumin always remained complexation status during the simulation.Hydrogen bonds(H-bonds)and hydrophobic interaction were the most critical acting forces involved in the formation and stability of V7-type SA-curcumin complex.Molecular docking presented that H-bonds interaction between curcumin ligand and V7-type SA chain(O3 at the 25th glucose unit,and O6 at the 17th and 20th glucose units)were found.Furthermore,the hydrophobic interactions were discovered between curcumin ligand and SA chain(18th,19th,21st,22nd and 23rd glucose units).

Evidence of guide field magnetic reconnection in flapping current sheets

Based on current sheet flapping motion on 27 August 2018 in the dusk flank magnetotail,as recorded by instruments aboard Magnetospheric Multiscale(MMS)spacecraft,we present the first study of guide field reconnection observed in the flux rope embedded in kink-like flapping current sheets near the dusk-side flank of the magnetotail.Unlike more common magnetotail reconnections,which are symmetric,these asymmetric small-scale(λ_(i)~650 km)reconnections were found in the highly twisted current sheet when the direction normal to the sheet changes from the Z direction into the Y direction.The unique feature of this unusual reconnection is that the reconnection jets are along the Z direction-different from outflow in the X direction,which is the more usual situation.This vertical reconnection jet is parallel or antiparallel to the up-and-down motion of the tail’s current sheet.The normalized reconnection rate R is estimated to be~0.1.Our results indicate that such asymmetric reconnections can significantly enlarge current sheet flapping,with large oscillation amplitudes.This letter presents direct evidence of guide field reconnection in a highly twisted current sheet,characterized by enlarged current sheet flapping as a consequence of the reconnection outflow.

Metal-Organic Frameworks Functionalized Separators for Robust Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries(AZIBs)are one of the promising energy storage systems,which consist of electrode materials,electrolyte,and separator.The first two have been significantly received ample development,while the prominent role of the separators in manipulating the stability of the electrode has not attracted sufficient attention.In this work,a separator(UiO-66-GF)modified by Zr-based metal organic framework for robust AZIBs is proposed.UiO-66-GF effectively enhances the transport ability of charge carriers and demonstrates preferential orientation of(002)crystal plane,which is favorable for corrosion resistance and dendrite-free zinc deposition.Consequently,Zn|UiO-66-GF-2.2|Zn cells exhibit highly reversible plating/stripping behavior with long cycle life over 1650 h at 2.0 mA cm^(−2),and Zn|UiO-66-GF-2.2|MnO_(2) cells show excellent long-term stability with capacity retention of 85%after 1000 cycles.The reasonable design and application of multifunctional metal organic frameworks modified separators provide useful guidance for constructing durable AZIBs.

Recent advances and perspectives on vanadium-and manganese-based cathode materials for aqueous zinc ion batteries

The growing demand for energy storage has inspired researchers’exploration of advanced batteries.Aqueous zinc ion batteries(ZIBs)are promising secondary chemical battery system that can be selected and pursued.Rechargeable ZIBs possess merits of high security,low cost,environmental friendliness,and competitive performance,and they are received a lot of attention.However,the development of suitable zinc ion intercalation-type cathode materials is still a big challenge,resulting in failing to meet the commercial needs of ZIBs.Both vanadium-based and manganese-based compounds are representative of the most advanced and most widely used rechargeable ZIBs electrodes.The valence state of vanadium is+2~+5,which can realize multi-electron transfer in the redox reaction and has a high specific capacity.Most of the manganese-based compounds have tunnel structure or three-dimensional space frame,with enough space to accommodate zinc ions.In order to understand the energy storage mechanism and electrochemical performance of these two materials,a specialized review focusing on state-of-the-art developments is needed.This review offers access for researchers to keep abreast of the research progress of cathode materials for ZIBs.The latest advanced researches in vanadium-based and manganese-based cathode materials applied in aqueous ZIBs are highlighted.This article will provide useful guidance for future studies on cathode materials and aqueous ZIBs.

KHCO_3 activated carbon microsphere as excellent electrocatalyst for VO^(2+)/VO_2^+ redox couple for vanadium redox flow battery

In this paper,carbon microsphere prepared by hydrothermal treatment was activated by KHCO_3 at high temperature,and employed as the catalyst for VO^(2+)/VO_2^+redox reaction for vanadium redox flow battery(VRFB).Carbon microsphere can be etched by KHCO_3 due to the reaction between the pyrolysis products of KHCO_3 and carbon atoms.Moreover,KHCO_3 activation can bring many oxygen functional groups on carbon microsphere,further improving the wettability of catalyst and increasing the active sites.The electrocatalytic properties of carbon microsphere from hydrothermal treatment are improved by high temperature carbonization,and can further be enhanced by KHCO_3 activation.Among carbon microsphere samples,the VO^(2+)/VO_2^+redox reaction exhibits the highest electrochemical kinetics on KHCO_3 activated sample.The cell using KHCO_3 activated carbon microsphere as the positive catalyst demonstrates higher energy efficiency and larger discharge capacity,especially at high current density.The results reveal that KHCO_3 activated carbon microsphere is an efficient,low-cost carbon-based catalyst for VO^(2+)/VO_2^+redox reaction for VRFB system.

Modified carbon cloth as positive electrode with high electrochemical performance for vanadium redox flow batteries

Carbon cloth modified by hydrothermal treatment in ammonia water is developed as the positive electrode with high electrochemical performance for vanadium redox flow batteries. The SEM shows that the treatment has no obvious influence on the morphology of carbon cloth. XPS measurements indicate that the nitrogenous functional groups can be introduced on the surface of carbon cloth successfully. The electrochemical performance of V(IV)/V(V) redox couple on the prepared electrode is evaluated with cyclic voltammetry and linear sweep voltammetry measurements. The N-doped carbon cloth exhibits outstanding electrochemical activity and reversibility toward V(IV)/V(V) redox couple. The rate constant of V(IV)/V(V) redox reaction on carbon cloth can increase to 2.27 x 10(-4) cm/s from 1.47 x 10(-4) cm/s after nitrogen doping. The cell using N-doped carbon cloth as positive electrode has larger discharge capacity and higher energy efficiency compared with the cell using pristine carbon cloth. The average energy efficiency of the cell using N-doped carbon cloth for 50 cycles at 30 mA/cm(2) is 87.8%, 4.3% larger than that of the cell using pristine carbon cloth. It indicates that the N-doped carbon cloth has a promise application prospect in vanadium redox flow batteries. (C) 2016 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.

Functional carbon materials for high-performance Zn metal anodes

The realization of“carbon peak”and“carbon neutralization”highly depends on the efficient utilization of renewable energy sources.Exploring reliable and low-cost electrochemical energy storage systems is an ever-growing demand for renewable energy integration.Among available candidates,aqueous zinc-ion batteries(AZIBs)receive extensive researchers'attention because of their material abundance,high capacity,high safety,and environmental friendliness.However,the irreversible issues of Zn anode in terms of notorious dendric Zn growth,Zn corrosion/hydrogen evolution,and passivation significantly impede the commercialization of high-performance AZIBs.Carbon materials have advantages of large specific surface area,low cost,high electrical conductivity,controllable structure,and good stability.Their application provides remedies for improving the comprehensive performance of Zn anodes.In this review,the fundamentals and issues of Zn anodes,and the research progress with functional carbon materials for Zn anodes in recent years are presented.Three major strategies are described in detail,including the use of carbon materials(carbon nanotubes,graphene,carbon fiber,metal-organic framework(MOF)derived host,etc.)as Zn plating/stripping substrates,as protective coating layers on Zn,and as electrolyte additives.Finally,the remaining challenges and perspectives of carbon materials in high-performance AZIBs are outlined.

Recent advances in solid-state metal-air batteries

Solid-state metal-air batteries have emerged as a research hotspot due to their high energy density and high safety.Moreover,side reactions caused by infiltrated gases(O_(2),H_(2)O,or CO_(2))and safety issues caused by liquid electrolyte leakage will be eliminated radically.However,the solid-state metal–air battery is still in its infancy,and many thorny problems still need to be solved,such as the large resistance of the metal/electrolyte interface and catalyst design.This review will summarize some important progress and key issues for solid-state metal-air batteries,especially the lithium-,sodium-,and zinc-based metal-air batteries,clarify some core issues,and forecast the future direction of the solid-state metal-air batteries.

Preparation of dendritic bismuth film electrodes and their application for detection of trace Pb(Ⅱ)and Cd(Ⅱ)

In this paper,dendritic Bi film electrodes with porous structure had successfully been prepared on glassy carbon electrode using a constant current electrolysis method based on hydrogen bubble dynamic templates.The electrode prepared using a large applied current density showed an increased internal electroactive area and a significantly improved electrochemical performance.The analytical utility of the prepared dendritic Bi film electrodes for the determination of Pb(Ⅱ)and Cd(Ⅱ)in the range of 5–50 μg·L^(-1)were presented in combination with square wave stripping voltammetry in model solution.Compared with non-porous Bi film electrode,the dendritic Bi film electrode exhibited higher sensitivity and lower detection limit.The prepared Bi film electrode with dendritic structure was also successfully applied to real water sample analysis.

Nanostructured N-doped carbon materials derived from expandable biomass with superior electrocatalytic performance towards V^(2+)/V^(3+) redox reaction for vanadium redox flow battery

Vanadium redox flow battery(VRFB)is one of the most promising large-scale energy storage systems,which ranges from kilowatt to megawatt.Nevertheless,poor electrochemical activity of electrode for two redox couples still restricts the extensive applications of VRFB.Compared with V^(2+)/V^(3+)redox reaction,V^(2+)/V^(3+)reaction plays a more significant role in voltage loss of VRFB owing to slow heterogeneous electron transfer rate.Herein,N-doped carbon materials derived from scaphium scaphigerum have been developed as negative electrocatalyst by hydrothermal carbonization and high-temperature nitridation treatments.The undoped carbon material hardly has electrocatalytic ability for V^(2+)/V^(3+)reaction.Based on this,N-doped carbon materials with urea as nitrogen source exhibit excellent electrocatalytic properties.And the material nitrided at 850°C(SSC/N-850)exhibits the best performance among those from700 to 1000℃.SSC/N-850 can accelerate the electrode process including V^(2+)/V^(3+)reaction and mass transfer of active ions due to the large reaction place,more active sites,and good hydrophilicity.The effect of catalyst on comprehensive performance of cell was evaluated.SSC/N-850 can improve the charge-discharge performance greatly.Utilization of SSC/N-850 can lessen the electrochemical polarization of cell,further resulting in increased discharge capacity and energy efficiency.Discharge capacity and energy efficiency increase by 81.5%and 9.8%by using SSC/N-850 as negative catalyst at 150 m A cm^(-2),respectively.Our study reveals that the developed biomass-derived carbon materials are the low-cost and efficient negative electrocatalyst for VRFB system.

A new inversion method for reconstruction of plasmaspheric He^(+)density from EUV images

The Computer Tomography(CT)method is used for remote sensing the Earth’s plasmasphere.One challenge for image reconstruction is insufficient projection data,mainly caused by limited projection angles.In this study,we apply the Algebraic Reconstruction Technique(ART)and the minimization of the image Total Variation(TV)method,with a combination of priori knowledge of north–south symmetry,to reconstruct plasmaspheric He+density from simulated EUV images.The results demonstrate that incorporating priori assumption can be particularly useful when the projection data is insufficient.This method has good performance even with a projection angle of less than 150 degrees.The method of our study is expected to have applications in the Soft X-ray Imager(SXI)reconstruction for the Solar wind–Magnetosphere–Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)mission.

On the ion distributions at the separatrices during symmetric magnetic reconnection

A particle-in-cell simulation of symmetric reconnection with zero guide field is carried out to understand the dynamics of ions along the separatrices.Through the investigation of ion velocity distributions at different moments and locations along the separatrices,a typical distribution is found:two counter-streaming populations in the perpendicular direction,with another two populations accelerated into distinct energy levels in the parallel direction.Backward tracing of ions reveals that the counter-streaming cores are mostly composed of ions initially located at the same side of the separatrix,while the other two accelerated populations in the parallel direction are composed of ions crossing through the neutral sheet.Through analysis of energy conversion of these populations,it is found that the ion energization along the separatrix is attributable primarily to the Hall electric field,while that in the region between the two separatrices is caused primarily by the induced reconnection electric field.For the counter-streaming population,the low-energy ions that cross the separatrix twice are affected by both Hall and reconnection electric fields,while the high-energy ions that directly enter the separatrix from the unperturbed plasma are energized mainly by the Hall electric field.For the two energized populations in the parallel direction,the ions with lower-energy are accelerated mainly by the in-plane electric field and the Hall electric field on the opposite side of the separatrix,whereas the ions with higher-energy not only experience the same energization process but also are constantly accelerated by the reconnection electric field.

Effect of Kinetic Alfvén Waves on Electron Transport in an Ion-Scale Flux Rope

At the Earth＇s magnetopause, the electron transport due to kinetic Alfvén waves（KAWs） is investigated in an ion-scale flux rope by the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. Clear electron dropout around 90° pitch angle is observed throughout the flux rope, where intense KAWs are identified. The KAWs can effectively trap electrons by the wave parallel electric field and the magnetic mirror force, allowing electrons to undergo Landau resonance and be transported into more field-aligned directions. The pitch angle range for the trapped electrons is estimated from the wave analysis, which is in good agreement with direct pitch angle measurements of the electron distributions. The newly formed beam-like electron distribution is unstable and excites whistler waves,as revealed in the observations. We suggest that KAWs could be responsible for the plasma depletion inside a flux rope by this transport process, and thus be responsible for the formation of a typical flux rope.

Preparation of antifouling ultrafiltration membranes from copolymers of polysulfone and zwitterionic poly(arylene ether sulfone)s

The past few decades have witnessed rapid gains in our demands of antifouling membranes such as water purification membranes and hemodialysis membranes.A variety of methodologies have been proposed for improving the antifouling performance and the hemocompatibility of the membranes.In this study,a series of copolymers(PSF-PESSB)containing polysulfone(PSF)and poly(arylene ether sulfone)bearing pendant zwitterionic sulfobetaine groups(PESSB)were prepared via one-pot polycondensation.Subsequently,the ultrafiltration(UF)membranes were prepared from different zwitterion-containing copolymers.The prepared membranes showed high thermal stability and mechanical properties.Besides,it also displayed attractive antifouling performance and blood compatibility.Compared with the original PSF membrane,the amount of protein absorption on the modified membrane was reduced;the flux recovery ratio and the resistance to blood cells were significantly improved.The results of this work suggest that PSF-PESSB membranes are expected to be applied in blood purification.The introduction of zwitterion-containing polymers to membranes paves ways for developing advanced hemodialysis technologies for crucial process.