Enhancing long-term stability of bio-photoelectrochemical cell by defect engineering of a WO_(3-x) photoanode

Bio-photoelectrochemical cells(BPECs)can further expand the use of conventional biofuel cells for renewable energy,but the poor stability of the photoelectrode still hinders their practical application.Herein,a BPEC capable of long-term operating in a fuel-free model is fabricated by WO3-xphotoanode with oxygen vacancy(Ov)and bilirubin oxidase catalyzed biocathode.The construction of Ov on the WO3surface significantly suppresses the dissolution of W species into the electrolyte,and improves the charge separation efficiency and the reaction kinetics during the photoelectrochemical oxygen evolution process,thus enhancing the stability and power output performance of the BPEC.As a result,the assembled BPEC can output an open circuit voltage of 0.81 V and deliver a maximum output power of up to 283μW cm^(-2).Impressively,the BPECs maintain 97%of their original power after 36000 s of consecutive discharge under an enclosed environment.This fuel-free BPEC based on a robust WO3-xphotoanode shows excellent promise for accurate application.

Restraining migration and dissolution of transition-metal-ions via functionalized separator for Li-rich Mn-based cathode with high-energy-density

Lithium-rich manganese-based materials(LRMs) are promising cathode for high-energy-density lithiumion batteries due to their high capacity,low toxicity,and low cost.However,LRMs suffer from serious voltage decay and capacity fade due to continual migration and dissolution of transition metal ions(TMs) during cycling process.Herein,a novel strategy is proposed to inhibit the TMs migration of LRMs through a modified separator by means of functionalized carbon coating layer,which depends on the chemical constraint of the abundant functional groups in the modified super P.In addition,it has been found that the dissolution of TMs can be restrained based on the Le Chatelier's principle.Moreover,the modified separator owns good wettability toward the electrolyte.As a result,the LRMs cathode with the modified separator delivers a high discharge capacity of 329.93 mA h g-1 at 0.1 C,and achieves good cyclic performance,the enhanced reaction kinetics and low voltage decay.Therefore,this work provides a new idea to promote the comprehensive electrochemical performances of Li-ion batteries with LRMs cathode through a strategy of separator modification.

In Situ Embedment of ZnS Nanocrystals in High Porosity Carbon Fibers as an Advanced Anode Material for Efcient Lithium Storage

ZnS is a promising material for lithium-ion battery anodes due to its abundant natural resources,simplicity of synthesis,and high theoretical lithium storage capacity.However,it needs to be optimized for its low conductivity and volume efect during the charge–discharge process.The traditional method of combining with carbonaceous materials is usually laborious,and the required sulfuration process may possibly result in the destruction of materials morphology.In this study,hybrid materials formed by the combination of ZnS nanocrystals and high porosity carbon fbers were synthesized by one-step electrospinning using zinc diethyldithiocarbamate and polyacrylonitrile as raw materials and poly(ethylene glycol)—block-poly(propylene glycol)—block-poly(ethylene glycol)as template.The method is simple and avoids the infuence of sulfuration process on the morphology of materials.The composite presents a specifc capacity of 592.2 mAh g^(−1) under a current density of 1 A g^(−1) after 1000 cycles.The porous structure signifcantly decreases the difusion mean-free path of Li+and inhibits the volume efect associated with the lithium storage process of ZnS.In addition,the 3D cross-linked carbon fbers improve the conductivity of materials.This study can serve as an inspiration for the development of other lithium storage composites.

A facile self-catalyzed CVD method to synthesize Fe3C/N-doped carbon nanofibers as lithium storage anode with improved rate capability and cyclability

Uniform Fe3 C/N-doped carbon nanofibers were successfully synthesized through a facile self-catalyzed CVD method by using acetylene as carbon source and Fe3O4 as iron source and autocatalytic template for the reaction under moderate preparation conditions. The experimental and theoretical calculation results demonstrate that Fe3 C can improve the lithium storage performance of carbon nanofibers. Besides, the addition of PPy can not only control the growth rate of carbon fibers but also help to form uniform carbon fibers. As a result, the obtained Fe3 C/N-doped carbon nanofiber composites display favorable electrochemical performance as an anode for lithium-ion batteries, which including satisfactory rate performance of 402 m A h g-1 under 1.2 Ag-1, and good cycling stability of 502.3 m A h g-1 under 200 m Ag-1 over 400 cycles. The introduction of Fe3 C species and the uniform carbon fiber morphology are responsible for the long-cycling and high rate performance of materials.