Structural predictions based on the compositions of cathodic materials by first-principles calculations

A first-principles method is applied to comparatively study the stability of lithium metal oxides with layered or spinel structures to predict the most energetically favorable structure for different compositions. The binding and reaction energies of the real or virtual layered LiM02 and spinel LiM204 （M = Sc42u, Y-Ag, Mg-Sr, and Al-In） are calculated. The effect of element M on the structural stability, espe- cially in the case of multiple-cation compounds, is discussed herein. The calculation results indicate that the phase stability depends on both the binding and reaction energies. The oxidation state of element M also plays a role in determining the dominant structure, i.e., layered or spinel phase. Moreover, calculation-based theoretical predictions of the phase stability of the doped materials agree with the previously re- ported experimental data.

Difficulties, strategies, and recent research and development of layered sodium transition metal oxide cathode materials for high-energy sodium-ion batteries

Energy-storage systems and their production have attracted significant interest for practical applications.Batteries are the foundation of sustainable energy sources for electric vehicles(EVs),portable electronic devices(PEDs),etc.In recent decades,Lithium-ion batteries(LIBs) have been extensively utilized in largescale energy storage devices owing to their long cycle life and high energy density.However,the high cost and limited availability of Li are the two main obstacles for LIBs.In this regard,sodium-ion batteries(SIBs) are attractive alternatives to LIBs for large-scale energy storage systems because of the abundance and low cost of sodium materials.Cathode is one of the most important components in the battery,which limits cost and performance of a battery.Among the classified cathode structures,layered structure materials have attracted attention because of their high ionic conductivity,fast diffusion rate,and high specific capacity.Here,we present a comprehensive review of the classification of layered structures and the preparation of layered materials.Furthermore,the review article discusses extensively about the issues of the layered materials,namely(1) electrochemical degradation,(2) irreversible structural changes,and(3) structural instability,and also it provides strategies to overcome the issues such as elemental phase composition,a small amount of elemental doping,structural design,and surface alteration for emerging SIBs.In addition,the article discusses about the recent research development on layered unary,binary,ternary,quaternary,quinary,and senary-based O3-and P2-type cathode materials for high-energy SIBs.This review article provides useful information for the development of high-energy layered sodium transition metal oxide P2 and O3-cathode materials for practical SIBs.

Recent progress in Ni-rich layered oxides and related cathode materials for Li-ion cells

Undoubtedly,the enormous progress observed in recent years in the Ni-rich layered cathode materials has been crucial in terms of pushing boundaries of the Li-ion battery(LIB)technology.The achieved improvements in the energy density,cyclability,charging speed,reduced costs,as well as safety and stability,already contribute to the wider adoption of LIBs,which extends nowadays beyond mobile electronics,power tools,and electric vehicles,to the new range of applications,including grid storage solutions.With numerous published papers and broad reviews already available on the subject of Ni-rich oxides,this review focuses more on the most recent progress and new ideas presented in the literature references.The covered topics include doping and composition optimization,advanced coating,concentration gradient and single crystal materials,as well as innovations concerning new electrolytes and their modification,with the application of Ni-rich cathodes in solid-state batteries also discussed.Related cathode materials are briefly mentioned,with the high-entropy approach and zero-strain concept presented as well.A critical overview of the still unresolved issues is given,with perspectives on the further directions of studies and the expected gains provided.

Modification strategies improving the electrochemical and structural stability of high-Ni cathode materials

With the increasing spotlight in electric vehicles,there is a growing demand for high-energy-density batteries to enhance driving range.Consequently,several studies have been conducted on high-energy-density LiNi_(x)Co_(y)Mn_(z)O_(2)cathodes.However,there is a limit to permanent performance deterioration because of side reactions caused by moisture in the atmosphere and continuous microcracks during cycling as the Ni content to express high energy increases and the content of Mn and Co that maintain structural and electrochemical stabilization decreases.The direct modification of the surface and bulk regions aims to enhance the capacity and long-term performance of high-Ni cathode materials.Therefore,an efficient modification requires a study based on a thorough understanding of the degradation mechanisms in the surface and bulk region.In this review,a comprehensive analysis of various modifications,including doping,coating,concentration gradient,and single crystals,is conducted to solve degradation issues along with an analysis of the overall degradation mechanism occurring in high-Ni cathode materials.It also summarizes recent research developments related to the following modifications,aims to provide notable points and directions for post-studies,and provides valuable references for the commercialization of stable high-energy-density cathode materials.

Application of deep learning for informatics aided design of electrode materials in metal-ion batteries

To develop emerging electrode materials and improve the performances of batteries,the machine learning techniques can provide insights to discover,design and develop battery new materials in high-throughput way.In this paper,two deep learning models are developed and trained with two feature groups extracted from the Materials Project datasets to predict the battery electrochemical performances including average voltage,specific capacity and specific energy.The deep learning models are trained with the multilayer perceptron as the core.The Bayesian optimization and Monte Carlo methods are applied to improve the prediction accuracy of models.Based on 10 types of ion batteries,the correlation coefficients are maintained above 0.9 compared to DFT calculation results and the mean absolute error of the prediction results for voltages of two models can reach 0.41 V and 0.20 V,respectively.The electrochemical performance prediction times for the two trained models on thousands of batteries are only 72.9 ms and 75.7 ms.Besides,the two deep learning models are applied to approach the screening of emerging electrode materials for sodium-ion and potassium-ion batteries.This work can contribute to a high-throughput computational method to accelerate the rational and fast materials discovery and design.

Optimization Strategies of Na_(3)V_(2)(PO_(4))_(3) Cathode Materials for Sodium‑Ion Batteries

Na_(3)V_(2)(PO_(4))_(3)(NVP)has garnered great attentions as a prospective cathode material for sodium-ion batteries(SIBs)by virtue of its decent theoretical capacity,superior ion conductivity and high structural stability.However,the inherently poor electronic conductivity and sluggish sodium-ion diffusion kinetics of NVP material give rise to inferior rate performance and unsatisfactory energy density,which strictly confine its further application in SIBs.Thus,it is of significance to boost the sodium storage performance of NVP cathode material.Up to now,many methods have been developed to optimize the electrochemical performance of NVP cathode material.In this review,the latest advances in optimization strategies for improving the electrochemical performance of NVP cathode material are well summarized and discussed,including carbon coating or modification,foreign-ion doping or substitution and nanostructure and morphology design.The foreign-ion doping or substitution is highlighted,involving Na,V,and PO_(4)^(3−)sites,which include single-site doping,multiple-site doping,single-ion doping,multiple-ion doping and so on.Furthermore,the challenges and prospects of high-performance NVP cathode material are also put forward.It is believed that this review can provide a useful reference for designing and developing high-performance NVP cathode material toward the large-scale application in SIBs.

Recent Progress and Regulation Strategies of Layered Materials as Cathode of Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs)have shown great potential in the fields of wearable devices,consumer electronics,and electric vehicles due to their high level of safety,low cost,and multiple electron transfer.The layered cathode materials of ZIBs hold a stable structure during charge and discharge reactions owing to the ultrafast and straightforward(de)intercalation-type storage mechanism of Zn^(2+)ions in their tunable interlayer spacing and their abilities to accommodate other guest ions or molecules.Nevertheless,the challenges of inadequate energy density,dissolution of active materials,uncontrollable byproducts,increased internal pressure,and a large de-solvation penalty have been deemed an obstacle to the development of ZIBs.In this review,recent strategies on the structure regulation of layered materials for aqueous zinc-ion energy storage devices are systematically summarized.Finally,critical science challenges and future outlooks are proposed to guide and promote the development of advanced cathode materials for ZIBs.

Research progresses on cathode materials of aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Electrochemical energy storage and conversion techniques that exhibit the merits such as high energy density,rapid response kinetics,economical maintenance requirements and expedient installation procedures will hold a pivotal role in the forthcoming energy storage technologies revolution.In recent years,aqueous zinc-ion batteries(AZIBs)have garnered substantial attention as a compelling candidate for large-scale energy storage systems,primarily attributable to their advantageous featu res encompassing cost-effectiveness,environmental sustainability,and robust safety profiles.Currently,one of the primary factors hindering the further development of AZIBs originates from the challenge of cathode materials.Specifically,the three mainstream types of mainstream cathode materials,in terms of manganese-based compounds,vanadium-based compounds and Prussian blue analogues,surfer from the dissolution of Mn~(2+),in the low discharge voltage,and the low specific capacity,respectively.Several strategies have been developed to compensation the above intrinsic defects for these cathode materials,including the ionic doping,defect engineering,and materials match.Accordingly,this review first provides a systematic summarization of the zinc storage mechanism in AZIBs,following by the inherent merit and demerit of three kind of cathode materials during zinc storage analyzed from their structure characteristic,and then the recent development of critical strategies towards the intrinsic insufficiency of these cathode materials.In this review,the methodologies aimed at enhancing the efficacy of manganese-based and vanadium-based compounds are emphasis emphasized.Additionally,the article outlines the future prospective directions as well as strategic proposal for cathode materials in AZIBs.

Research on Preparation and Electrochemical Performance of the High Compacted Density Ni-Co-Mn Ternary Cathode Materials

The high compacted density LiNi0.5-xCo0.2Mn0.3MgxO2 cathode material for lithium-ion batteries was synthesized by high temperature solid-state method, taking the Mg element as a doping element and the spherical Ni0.5Co0.2Mn0.3 (OH)2, Li2CO3 as raw materials. The effects of calcination temperature on the structure and properties of the products were investigated. The structure and morphology of cathode materials powder were analyzed by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD) and scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM). The electrochemical properties of the cathode materials were studied by charge-discharge test and cyclic properties test. The results show that LiNi0.4985Co0.2Mn0.3 Mg0.0015O2 cathode material prepared at calcination temperature 930°C has a good layered structure, and the compacted density of the electrode sheet is above 3.68 g/cm3. The discharge capacity retention rate is more than 97.5% after 100 cycles at a charge-discharge rate of 1C, displaying a good cyclic performance.

Toward high-sulfur-content,high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries:Review of materials and technologies

Lithium sulfur batteries(LSBs)are recognized as promising devices for developing next-generation energy storage systems.In addition,they are attractive rechargeable battery systems for replacing lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)for commercial use owing to their higher theoretical energy density and lower cost compared to those of LIBs.However,LSBs are still beset with some persistent issues that prevent them from being used industrially,such as the unavoidable dissolution of lithium polysulfide intermediates during electrochemical reactions and large volume expansion(up to 80%)upon the formation of Li_(2)S,resulting in serious battery life and safety limitations.In the process of solving these problems,it is necessary to maintain a high sulfur content in the cathode materials to ensure that the LSBs have high energy densities and excellent cycle performance.In this review,the novel preparation methods and cathode materials used for preparing LSBs in recent years are reviewed considering the sulfur content and cycle performance.In addition,the problems and difficulties in practically applying cathode materials are described,and the development trend is discussed.

Perspectives in Electrochemical in situ Structural Reconstruction of Cathode Materials for Multivalent-ion Storage

Multivalent-ion(such as Zn^(2+),Mg^(2+),Al^(3+))batteries are considered as a prospective alternative for large-scale energy storage.However,the main problem of cathode materials for multivalent-ion batteries is the sluggish diffusion of multivalent ions.Many cathode materials will self-adjust under electrochemical conditions to achieve the optimal state for multivalent-ion storage.In this review,the significant role of electrochemical in situ structural reconstruction of cathode materials is suggested.The types,basic characteristics,and formation mechanisms of reconstructed phases have been systematically discussed and commented.The most important insight we pointed out is that the cathode materials with loose structures after in situ electrochemical activation are conducive to the reversible diffusion of multivalent ions.Moreover,several crucial issues of electrochemical activation and reconstruction were further analyzed and discussed.The challenges and future perspectives are presented in the final section.

Low-temperatures synthesis of CuS nanospheres as cathode material for magnesium second batteries

Rechargeable magnesium batteries(RMBs),as one of the most promising candidates for efficient energy storage devices with high energy,power density and high safety,have attracted increasing attention.However,searching for suitable cathode materials with fast diffusion kinetics and exploring their magnesium storage mechanisms remains a great challenge.Cu S submicron spheres,made by a facile low-temperature synthesis strategy,were applied as the high-performance cathode for RMBs in this work,which can deliver a high specific capacity of 396mAh g^(-1)at 20 mA g^(-1) and a remarkable rate capacity of 250 m Ah g^(-1)at 1000 mA g^(-1).The excellent rate performance can be assigned to the nano needle-like particles on the surface of Cu S submicron spheres,which can facilitate the diffusion kinetics of Mg^(2+).Further storage mechanism investigations illustrate that the Cu S cathodes experience a two-step conversion reaction controlled by diffusion during the electrochemical reaction process.This work could make a contribution to the study of the enhancement of diffusion kinetics of Mg2+and the reaction mechanism of RMBs.

Regeneration of spent LiFePO4 as a high-performance cathode material by a simultaneous coating and doping strategy

With the number of decommissioned electric vehicles increasing annually,a large amount of discarded power battery cathode material is in urgent need of treatment.However,common leaching methods for recovering metal salts are economically inefficient and polluting.Meanwhile,the recycled material obtained by lithium remediation alone has limited performance in cycling stability.Herein,a short method of solid-phase reduction is developed to recover spent LiFePO4 by simultaneously introducing Mg2+ions for hetero-atom doping.Issues of particle agglomeration,carbon layer breakage,lithium loss,and Fe3+defects in spent LiFePO4 are also addressed.Results show that Mg2+addition during regeneration can remarkably enhance the crystal structure stability and improve the Li+diffusion coefficient.The regenerated LiFePO4 exhibits significantly improved electrochemical performance with a specific discharge capacity of 143.2 mAh·g^(−1)at 0.2 C,and its capacity retention is extremely increased from 37.9%to 98.5%over 200 cycles at 1 C.Especially,its discharge capacity can reach 95.5 mAh·g^(−1)at 10 C,which is higher than that of spent LiFePO4(55.9 mAh·g^(−1)).All these results show that the proposed regeneration strategy of simultaneous carbon coating and Mg2+doping is suitable for the efficient treatment of spent LiFePO4.

Enhanced Electrochemical Performances of Ni Doped Cr_(8)O_(21)Cathode Materials for Lithium-ion Batteries

Cathode materials,nickel doped Cr_(8)O_(21),were synthesized by a solid-state method.The effects of Ni doping on the electrochemical performances of Cr_(8)O_(21) were investigated.The experimental results show that the discharge capacities of the samples depend on the nickel contents,which increases firstly and then decreases with increasing Ni contents.Optimized Ni_(0.5)Cr_(7.5)O_(21)delivers a first capacity up to 392.6 m Ah·g^(-1)at 0.1C.In addition,Ni doped sample also demonstrates enhanced cycling stability and rate capability compared with that of the bare Cr_(8)O_(21).At 1 C,an initial discharge capacity of 348.7 m Ah·g^(-1)was achieved for Ni_(0.5)Cr_(7.5)O_(21),much higher than 271.4 m Ah·g^(-1)of the un-doped sample,with an increase of more than 28%.Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results confirm that Ni doping reduces the growth of interface resistance and charge transfer resistance,which is conducive to the electrochemical kinetic behaviors during charge-discharge.

Recent advances in flexible alkaline zinc-based batteries:Materials,structures,and perspectives

The development of wearable electronic systems has generated increasing demand for flexible power sources.Alkaline zinc(Zn)-based batteries,as one of the most mature energy storage technologies,have been considered as a promising power source owing to their exceptional safety,low costs,and outstanding electrochemical performance.However,the conventional alkaline Zn-based battery systems face many challenges associated with electrodes and electrolytes,causing low capacity,poor cycle life,and inferior mechanical performance.Recent advances in materials and structure design have enabled the revisitation of the alkaline Zn-based battery technology for applications in flexible electronics.Herein,we summarize the up-to-date works in flexible alkaline Zn-based batteries and analyze the strategies employed to improve battery performance.Firstly,we introduce the three most reported cathode materials(including Ag-based,Ni-based,and Co-based materials)for flexible alkaline Zn-based batteries.Then,challenges and modifications in battery anodes are investigated.Thirdly,the recently advanced gel electrolytes are introduced from their properties,functions as well as advanced fabrications.Finally,recent works and the advantages of sandwich-type,fiber-type and thin film-type flexible batteries are summarized and compared.This review provides insights and guidance for the design of high-performance flexible Zn-based batteries for next-generation electronics.

Selenium-doped cathode materials with polyaniline skeleton for lithium-organosulfur batteries

Sulfur-containing polymer(SCP)is considered as an outstanding cathode material for lithium-sulfur batteries.However,undesirable soluble polysulfides may shuttle in electrolyte,concluding long-chain Li_(2)S_(n)(n>4)and short-chain Li2Sn(n≤4),as well as the sluggish conversion kinetics are yet to be solved to enhance the performance of lithium-sulfur batteries.Here Se-doped sulfurized polyaniline with adjusted sulfur-chain-S_(x)-(x≤6)contribute to ensure the absence of long-chain polysulfides,and the skeleton with quinoid imine can endow strongly adsorption towards short-chain polysulfides by the reversible transition between deprotonated/protonated imine(-NH^(+)=and-N=),which offer double insurance against suppressing“shuttle effect”.Furthermore,Se atoms are doped into sulfurized polysulfides to accelerate the redox conversion and take a frontier orbital theory-oriented view into catalytic mechanism.Se-doped sulfurized polyaniline as active materials for lithium-organosulfur batteries delivers good electrochemical performance,including high rate,reversible specific capacity(680 mA h g^(-1)at 0.1 A g^(-1)),and lower capacity decay rate only of 0.15%with near 100%coulomb efficiency during long-term cycle.This work provides a valuable guiding ideology and promising solution for the chemistry-oriented structure design and practical application for lithium-organosulfur batteries.

Overlooked impact of precursor mixing:Implications in the electrochemical performance of battery electrode materials

Solid-state reactions are an essential part of the synthesis of various cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).Despite the simplicity and effectiveness for mass production,a subtle variation in synthesis conditions can often give rise to unexpectedly different physical properties,significantly affecting the electrochemical performance of electrode materials.However,this aspect has long been overlooked in the LIB community,which should focus on advancement in understanding the influence of synthesis conditions.As solid-state reactions occur only at the interface of precursor materials,maximizing the interfacial contact area between mixed precursor powders is crucial.Mechanical milling and/or mixing are common practices that have been performed in both academia and industry for this purpose.Unlike the common belief that this pre-treatment before calcination would be of great benefit for the preparation of high-performance LIB materials,we revealed in this work that this practice is not always successful for this goal.In our case study of the preparation of LiCoO_(2),we demonstrated that mechanical mixing-a routinely implemented process for homogeneous mixing of precursors-can be harmful if it is performed without assuring optimal working conditions for mixing.The underlying reasons for this surprising result are elucidated in this work,and we hope that this new insight can help avoid the potential pitfall of routine implementations performed for LIB materials.

Defective layered Mn-based cathode materials with excellent performance via ion exchange for Li-ion batteries

Defective layered Mn-based materials were synthesized by Li/Na ion exchange to improve their electrochemical activity and Coulombic efficiency.The annealing temperature of the Na precursors was important to control the P3-P2 phase transition,which directly affected the structure and electrochemical characteristics of the final products obtained by ion exchange.The O3-Li_(0.78)[Li_(0.25)Fe_(0.075)Mn_(0.675)]O_(δ) cathode made from a P3-type precursor calcined at 700℃ was analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectrometry and electron paramagnetic resonance.The results showed that the presence of abundant trivalent manganese and defects resulted in a discharge capacity of 230 mAh/g with an initial Coulombic efficiency of about 109%.Afterward,galvanostatic intermittent titration was performed to examine the Li^(+) ion diffusion coefficients,which affected the reversible capacity.First principles calculations suggested that the charge redistribution induced by oxygen vacancies(OV_(s))greatly affected the local Mn coordination environment and enhanced the structural activity.Moreover,the Li-deficient cathode was a perfect match for the pre-lithiation anode,providing a novel approach to improve the initial Coulombic efficiency and activity of Mn-based materials in the commercial application.

High durable aqueous zinc ion batteries by synergistic effect of V_(6)O_(13)/VO_(2) electrode materials

Vanadium oxides have attracted one’s wide attention due to their diverse valences and spatial structure as cathode for aqueous zinc ion batteries.However,a strong electrostatic interaction exists between Zn ions and host materials,which leads to their sluggish reaction kinetics and inferior structural stability.Herein,we design a kind of vanadium-based electrode materials with abundant phase boundaries and oxygen defects.The assembled Zn//V_(6)O_(13)/VO_(2) batteries deliver a specific capacity of 498.3 mA h g^(-1)at 0.2 A g^(-1) and retain a capacity of 485.8 mA h g^(-1)after 100 cycles.Moreover,they achieve a retention rate of 96.8% after 5000 cycles at 10 A g^(-1).The soft pack cells also show excellent mechanical stability at different folding conditions.

CoSnO_(3)/C nanocubes with oxygen vacancy as high-capacity cathode materials for rechargeable aluminum batteries

Rechargeable aluminum batteries(RABs)are attractive cadidates for next-generation energy storage and conversion,due to the low cost and high safety of Al resources,and high capacity of metal Al based on the three-electrons reaction mechanism.However,the development of RABs is greatly limited,because of the lack of advanced cathode materials,and their complicated and unclear reaction mechanisms.Exploring the novel nanostructured transition metal and carbon composites is an effective route for obtaining ideal cathode materials.In this work,we synthesize porous CoSnO_(3)/C nanocubes with oxygen vacancies for utilizing as cathodes in RABs for the first time.The intrinsic structure stability of the mixed metal cations and carbon coating can improve the cycling performance of cathodes by regulating the internal strains of the electrodes during volume expansion.The nanocubes with porous structures contribute to fast mass transportation which improves the rate capability.In addition to this,abundant oxygen vacancies promote the adsorption affinity of cathodes,which improves storage capacity.As a result,the CoSnO_(3)/C cathodes display an excellent reversible capacity of 292.1 mAh g^(-1) at 0.1 A g^(-1),a good rate performance with 109 mAh g^(-1) that is maintained even at 1 A g^(-1) and the provided stable cycling behavior for 500 cycles.Besides,a mechanism of intercalation of Al^(3+)within CoSnO_(3)/C cathode is proposed for the electrochemical process.Overall,this work provides a step toward the development of advanced cathode materials for RABs by engineering novel nanostructured mixed transition-metal oxides with carbon composite and proposes novel insights into chemistry for RABs.