Despite the potential advantages promised by solid-state batteries,the success of solid-state electrolytes has not yet been fully realised.This is due in part to the lower ionic conductivity of solid electrolytes.In m...Despite the potential advantages promised by solid-state batteries,the success of solid-state electrolytes has not yet been fully realised.This is due in part to the lower ionic conductivity of solid electrolytes.In many solid superionic conductors,grain boundaries are found to be ionically resistive and hence contribute to this lower ionic conductivity.Additionally,in spite of the hope that solid electrolytes would inhibit lithium filaments,in most scenarios their growth is still observed,and in some polycrystalline systems this is suggested to occur along grain boundaries.It is apparent that grain boundaries affect the performance of solid-state electrolytes,however a deeper understanding is lacking.In this perspective,the current theories relating to grain boundaries in solid-state electrolytes are explored,as well as addressing some of the challenges which arise when trying to investigate their role.Glasses are presented as a possible solution to reduce the effect of grain boundaries in electrolytes.Future research directions are suggested which will aid in both understanding the role of grain boundaries,and diminishing their contribution in cases where they are detrimental.展开更多
Wearable electronics offer the combined advantages of both electronics and fabrics.In this article,we report the fabrication of wearable supercapacitors using cotton fabric as an essential component.Carbon nanotubes a...Wearable electronics offer the combined advantages of both electronics and fabrics.In this article,we report the fabrication of wearable supercapacitors using cotton fabric as an essential component.Carbon nanotubes are conformally coated onto the cotton fibers,leading to a highly electrically conductive interconnecting network.The porous carbon nanotube coating functions as both active material and current collector in the supercapacitor.Aqueous lithium sulfate is used as the electrolyte in the devices,because it presents no safety concerns for human use.The supercapacitor shows high specific capacitance(~70-80 F·g^(-1) at 0.1 A·g^(-1))and cycling stability(negligible decay after 35,000 cycles).The extremely simple design and fabrication process make it applicable for providing power in practical electronic devices.展开更多
The development of nanotechnology in the past two decades has generated great capability of controlling materials at the nanometer scale and has enabled exciting opportunities to design materials with desirable electr...The development of nanotechnology in the past two decades has generated great capability of controlling materials at the nanometer scale and has enabled exciting opportunities to design materials with desirable electronic, ionic, photonic, and mechanical properties. This development has also contributed to tile advance in energy storage, which is a critical technology in this century. In this article, we will review how the rational design of nanostructured materials has addressed the challenges of batteries and electrochemical capacitors and led to high-performance electrochemical energy storage devices. Four specific material systems will be discussed： i） nanostructured alloy anodes for Li-batteries, ii） nanostructured sulfur cathodes for Li-batteries, iii） nanoporous open- framework battery electrodes, and iv） nanostructured electrodes for electrochemical capacitors.展开更多
基金the support of The Faraday Institution(Grant No.FIRG026)the Henry Royce Institute(through UK Engineering and Physical Science Research Council Grant EP/R010145/1)for capital equipment.
文摘Despite the potential advantages promised by solid-state batteries,the success of solid-state electrolytes has not yet been fully realised.This is due in part to the lower ionic conductivity of solid electrolytes.In many solid superionic conductors,grain boundaries are found to be ionically resistive and hence contribute to this lower ionic conductivity.Additionally,in spite of the hope that solid electrolytes would inhibit lithium filaments,in most scenarios their growth is still observed,and in some polycrystalline systems this is suggested to occur along grain boundaries.It is apparent that grain boundaries affect the performance of solid-state electrolytes,however a deeper understanding is lacking.In this perspective,the current theories relating to grain boundaries in solid-state electrolytes are explored,as well as addressing some of the challenges which arise when trying to investigate their role.Glasses are presented as a possible solution to reduce the effect of grain boundaries in electrolytes.Future research directions are suggested which will aid in both understanding the role of grain boundaries,and diminishing their contribution in cases where they are detrimental.
基金Y.C.acknowledges support from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology(KAUST)Investigator Award(No.KUS-l1-001-12).
文摘Wearable electronics offer the combined advantages of both electronics and fabrics.In this article,we report the fabrication of wearable supercapacitors using cotton fabric as an essential component.Carbon nanotubes are conformally coated onto the cotton fibers,leading to a highly electrically conductive interconnecting network.The porous carbon nanotube coating functions as both active material and current collector in the supercapacitor.Aqueous lithium sulfate is used as the electrolyte in the devices,because it presents no safety concerns for human use.The supercapacitor shows high specific capacitance(~70-80 F·g^(-1) at 0.1 A·g^(-1))and cycling stability(negligible decay after 35,000 cycles).The extremely simple design and fabrication process make it applicable for providing power in practical electronic devices.
文摘The development of nanotechnology in the past two decades has generated great capability of controlling materials at the nanometer scale and has enabled exciting opportunities to design materials with desirable electronic, ionic, photonic, and mechanical properties. This development has also contributed to tile advance in energy storage, which is a critical technology in this century. In this article, we will review how the rational design of nanostructured materials has addressed the challenges of batteries and electrochemical capacitors and led to high-performance electrochemical energy storage devices. Four specific material systems will be discussed： i） nanostructured alloy anodes for Li-batteries, ii） nanostructured sulfur cathodes for Li-batteries, iii） nanoporous open- framework battery electrodes, and iv） nanostructured electrodes for electrochemical capacitors.
