‘Jelly to Joule’:Direct laser writing of sustainable jellyfish-based ‘graphenic silicon’ anodes for environmentally remediating high-performance lithium-ion batteries

The ramifications of global climate change and resource scarcities have made it imperative to re-examine the definition of sustainable energy-storage systems.It is crucial to recognize that not all renewable resources are inherently sustainable,and their full impact on the environment must be assessed.With the proliferation of invasive jellyfish species wreaking havoc on marine ecosystems and economies worldwide,utilizing overabundant jellyfish as a carbon source presents an opportunity to create energy-storage systems that are both financially beneficial and environmentally remediating.Accordingly,a comprehensive approach to sustainability also requires eco-friendly solutions throughout the entire lifecycle,from material sourcing to battery production,without compromising highperformance requirements.Currently,most electrode syntheses for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs) employed are energy-intensive,multiple-steps,complex,and additive-heavy.In response,this work pioneers the straightforward use of low-energy laser irradiation of a jellyfish biomass/silicon nanoparticle blend to encapsulate the silicon nanoparticles in-situ within the as-forming conductive carbonized matrix,creating sustainable and additive-free composite anodes.The self-standing anode is directly synthesized under ambient conditions and requires no post-processing.Here,a laser-synthesized conductive threedimensional porous carbon/silicon composite anode from raw jellyfish biomass for LIBs is presented,displaying outstanding cyclic stability(>1000 cycles),excellent capacity retention(>50% retention after1000 cycles),exceptional coulombic efficiency(>99%),superb reversible gravimetric capacity(>2000 mAh/g),and high rate performance capability(>1.6 A/g),paving a new path to future sustainable energy production.

Pioneering the direct large-scale laser printing of flexible“graphenic silicon”self-standing thin films as ultrahigh-performance lithium-ion battery anodes

Recent technological advancements,such as portable electronics and electric vehicles,have created a pressing need for more efficient energy storage solutions.Lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)have been the preferred choice for these applications,with graphite being the standard anode material due to its stability.However,graphite falls short of meeting the growing demand for higher energy density,possessing a theoretical capacity that lags behind.To address this,researchers are actively seeking alternative materials to replace graphite in commercial batteries.One promising avenue involves lithiumalloying materials like silicon and phosphorus,which offer high theoretical capacities.Carbon-silicon composites have emerged as a viable option,showing improved capacity and performance over traditional graphite or pure silicon anodes.Yet,the existing methods for synthesizing these composites remain complex,energy-intensive,and costly,preventing widespread adoption.A groundbreaking approach is presented here:the use of a laser writing strategy to rapidly transform common organic carbon precursors and silicon blends into efficient“graphenic silicon”composite thin films.These films exhibit exceptional structural and energy storage properties.The resulting three-dimensional porous composite anodes showcase impressive attributes,including ultrahigh silicon content,remarkable cyclic stability(over 4500 cycles with∼40%retention),rapid charging rates(up to 10 A g^(-1)),substantial areal capacity(>5.1 mAh cm^(-2)),and excellent gravimetric capacity(>2400 mAh g^(-1) at 0.2 A g^(-1)).This strategy marks a significant step toward the scalable production of high-performance LIB materials.Leveraging widely available,cost-effective precursors,the laser-printed“graphenic silicon”composites demonstrate unparalleled performance,potentially streamlining anode production while maintaining exceptional capabilities.This innovation not only paves the way for advanced LIBs but also sets a precedent for transforming various materials into high-performing electrodes,promising reduced complexity and cost in battery production.

Self-transforming stainless-steel into the next generation anode material for lithium ion batteries

Here,an extremely cost-effective and simple method is proposed in order to morphologically selftransform stain less steel from a completely inactive material to a fully operati onal,nanowire-structured,3D anode material for lithium ion batteries.The reagentless process of a single heating step of the plain stainless steel in a partially reduci ng atmosphere,converts the stain less steel into an active anode via metal-selective oxidation,creating vast spinel-structured nanowires directly from the electrochemically in active surface.The simple process allows the complete utilizati on of the 3D mesh structure as the electrochemically-active spinel nanowires greatly enhance the active surface area.The novel material and architecture exhibits high capacities(-1000 mAh/g after-400 cycles),long cycle life(>1100 cycles)and fast rate performance(>2C).Simple modulation of the substrate can result in very high areal and volumetric capacities.Thus,areal capacities greater than 10 mAh/cm^(2) and volumetric capacities greater than 1400 mAh/cm^(3) can be achieved.Using the proposed method,the potential reduction in cost from the use of battery-grade graphite is at least an order of magnitude,with considerable better results achieved in terms of capacity and intrinsic structural benefits of the substrate,which include direct contact of the active material with the current collector,lack of delamination and binder-free performance.This work provides a new paradigm and a key step in the long route to replace the commercial graphite anode as the next-geneation anode material.

Spatially resolved measurement of plasmon dispersion using Fourier-plane spectral imaging

We show that Fourier-plane imaging in conjunction with the Kretschmann–Raether configuration can be used for measuring polariton dispersion with spatial discrimination of the sample, over the whole visible spectral range.We demonstrate the functionality of our design on several architectures, including plasmonic waveguides, and show that our new design enables the measurement of plasmonic dispersion curves of spatially inhomogeneous structures with features as small as 3 μm, in a single shot.