Multi-scale design of silicon/carbon composite anode materials for lithium-ion batteries:A review

Silicon/carbon composites,which integrate the high lithium storage performance of silicon with the exceptional mechanical strength and conductivity of carbon,will replace the traditional graphite electrodes for high-energy lithium-ion batteries.Various strategies have been designed to synthesize silicon/carbon composites for tackling the issues of anode pulverization and poor stability in the anodes,thereby improving the lithium storage ability.The effect of the regulation method at each scale on the final negative electrode performance remains unclear.However,it has not been fully clarified how the regulation methods at each scale influence the final anode performance.This review will categorize the materials structure into three scales:molecular scale,nanoscale,and microscale.First,the review will examine modification methods at the molecular scale,focusing on the interfacial bonding force between silicon and carbon.Next,it will summarize various nanostructures and special shapes in the nanoscale to explore the construction of silicon/carbon composites.Lastly,the review will provide an analysis of microscale control approaches,focusing on the formation of composite particle with micron size and the utilization of micro-Si.This review provides a comprehensive overview of the multi-scale design of silicon/carbon composite anode materials and their optimization strategies to enhance the performance of lithium-ion batteries.

Numerical study of directional heat transfer in composite materials via controllable carbon fiber distribution

Carbon fiber reinforced polyamide 12(CF/PA12),a new material renowned for its excellent mechanical and thermal properties,has drawn significant industry attention.Using the steady-state research to heat transfer,a series of simulations to investigate the heat transfer properties of CF/PA12 were conducted in this study.Firstly,by building two-and three-dimensional models,the effects of the porosity,carbon fiber content,and arrangement on the heat transfer of CF/PA12 were examined.A validation of the simulation model was carried out and the findings were consistent with those of the experiment.Then,the simulation results using the above models showed that within the volume fraction from 0% to 28%,the thermal conductivity of CF/PA12 increased greatly from 0.0242 W/(m·K)to 10.8848 W/(m·K).The increasing porosity had little influence on heat transfer characteristic of CF/PA12.The direction of the carbon fiber arrangement affects the heat transfer impact,and optimal outcomes were achieved when the heat flow direction was parallel to the carbon fiber.This research contributes to improving the production methods and broadening the application scenarios of composite materials.

Research Progress of Carbon-Silicone Composite Materials

Silicone is a kind of polymer material with high cross-linked structure,which is com-posed by Si-O-Si main chain.Due to the special molecular chain structure,silicone mate-rials are characterized by oxidation resistance,aging resistance,high and low temperature resistance and chemical corrosion resistance.Moreover,silicone materials have process-able properties,simple forming process,good mechanical property,non-toxic and pollution-free.Therefore,silicone has been widely concerned by researchers at home and abroad.In this paper,the main research progress and application directions of carbon-silicone composite at home and abroad in recent years are reviewed.

Research progress on silicon/carbon composite anode materials for lithium-ion battery

Silicon （Si） has been considered as one of the most promising anode material for tHe next generation lithium-ion batteries （LIBs） with high energy densities, due to its high theoretical capacity, abundant availability and environmental friendliness. However. silicon materials with low intrinsic electric and ionic conductivity suffer from huge volume variation during lithiation/delithiation processes leading to the pulverization of Si and subsequently resulting in severe capacity fading of the electrodes. Coupling of Si with carbon （C） realizes a favorable combination of the two materials properties, such as high lithiation capacity of Si and excellent mechanical and conductive properties of C. making silicon/carbon composite （Si/C） ideal candidates for LIBs anodes. In this review, recent progresses of Si/C materials utilized in LIBs are summarized in terms of structural design principles, material synthesis methods, morphological characteristics and electrochemical performances by highlighting the material structures. The mechanisms behind the performance enhancement are also discussed. Moreover, other factors that affect the performance of Si/C anodes, such as prelithiation, electrolyte additives, and binders, are also discussed. We aim to present a full scope of the Si/C-based anodes, and help understand and design future structures of Si/C anodes in LIBs,

Tempura-like carbon/carbon composite as advanced anode materials for K-ion batteries

Graphite as a promising anode candidate of K-ion batteries(KIBs)has been increasingly studied currently,but corresponding rate performance and cycling stability are usually inferior to amorphous carbon materials.To protect the layer structure and further boost performance,tempura-like carbon/carbon nanocomposite of graphite@pitch-derived S-doped carbon(G@PSC)is designed and prepared by a facile and low-temperature modified molten salt method.This robust encapsulation structure makes their respective advantages complementary to each other,showing mutual promotion of electrochemical performances caused by synergy effect.As a result,the G@PSC electrode is applied in KIBs,delivering impressive rate capabilities(465,408,370,332,290,and 227 m A h g^(-1)at 0.05,0.2,0.5,1,2,and 5 A g^(-1))and ultralong cyclic stability(163 m A g^(-1)remaining even after 8000 cycles at 2 A g^(-1)).On basis of ex-situ studies,the sectionalized K-storage mechanism with adsorption(pseudocapacitance caused by S doping)-intercalation(pitch-derived carbon and graphite)pattern is revealed.Moreover,the exact insights into remarkable rate performances are taken by electrochemical kinetics tests and density functional theory calculation.In a word,this study adopts a facile method to synthesize high-performance carbon/carbon nanocomposite and is of practical significance for development of carbonaceous anode in KIBs.

Functional porous carbon-based composite electrode materials for lithium secondary batteries

The synthetic routes of porous carbons and the applications of the functional porous carbon-based composite electrode materials for lithium secondary batteries are reviewed. The synthetic methods have made great breakthroughs to control the pore size and volume, wall thickness, surface area, and connectivity of porous carbons, which result in the development of functional porous carbon-based composite electrode materials. The effects of porous carbons on the electrochemical properties are further discussed. The porous carbons as ideal matrixes to incorporate active materials make a great improvement on the electrochemical properties because of high surface area and pore volume, excellent electronic conductivity, and strong adsorption capacity. Large numbers of the composite electrode materials have been used for the devices of electrochemical energy conversion and storage, such as lithium-ion batteries （LIBs）, Li-S batteries, and Li-O2 batteries. It is believed that functional porous carbon-based composite electrode materials will continuously contribute to the field of lithium secondary batteries.

Carbon nanomaterials and their composites for supercapacitors

As a type of energy storage device between traditional capacitors and batteries,the supercapacitor has the advantages of energy saving and environmental protection,high power density,fast charging and discharging speed,long cycle life,and so forth.One of the key factors affecting the performance of supercapacitor is the electrode material.Carbon materials,such as carbon nanotube,graphene,activated carbon,and carbon nanocage,are most widely concerned in the application of supercapacitors.The synergistic effect of composites can often obtain excellent results,which is one of the common strategies to increase the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors.To further improve the performance of binary composites,it is a relatively simple method to increase the components as the“bridge”between the two materials to form the ternary composites.The review mainly introduces the current research progress of supercapacitors with pure carbon nanomaterials and multistage carbon nanostructures(composites)as electrodes.The characteristics and application directions of different pure carbon nanomaterials are introduced in detail.Different ways of multilevel structure(material)composite have their own effects on the development of high-performance supercapacitors.We also highlight the recent advances related to these fields and provide our insight into high-energy supercapacitors.

Enhanced microwave absorption property of silver decorated biomass ordered porous carbon composite materials with frequency selective surface incorporation

Porous carbon(PC)is a promising electromagnetic(EM)wave absorbing material thanks to its light weight,large specific surface area as well as good dissipating capacity.To further improve its microwave absorbing performance,silver coated porous carbon(Ag@PC)is synthesized by one-step hydro-thermal synthesis process making use of fir as a biomass formwork.Phase compositions,morphological structure,and microwave absorption capability of the Ag@PC has been explored.Research results show that the metallic Ag was successfully reduced and the particles are evenly distributed inward the pores of the carbon formwork,which accelerates graphitization process of the amorphous carbon.The Ag@PC composite without adding polyvinyl pyrrolidone(PVP)exhibits higher dielectric constant and better EM wave dissipating capability.This is because the larger particles of Ag give rise to higher electric conductivity.After combing with frequency selective surface(FSS),the EM wave absorbing performance is further improved and the frequency region below-10 d B is located in8.20-11.75 GHz,and the minimal reflection loss value is-22.5 dB.This work indicates that incorporating metallic Ag particles and FSS provides a valid way to strengthen EM wave absorbing capacity of PC material.

Influence of carbon coating on the electrochemical performance of SiO@C/graphite composite anode materials

Silicon monoxide(SiO) has been considered as one of the most promising anode materials for next generation highenergy-density Li-ion batteries(LiBs) thanks to its high theoretical capacity. However, the poor intrinsic electronic conductivity and large volume change during lithium intercalation/de-intercalation restrict its practical applications. Fabrication of SiO/C composites is an effective way to overcome these problems. Herein, a series of micro-sized SiO@C/graphite(Si0@C/G) composite anode materials, with designed capacity of 600 mAh·g-1, are successfully prepared through a pitch pyrolysis reaction method. The electrochemical performance of SiO@C/G composite anodes with different carbon coating contents of 5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, and 35 wt% is investigated. The results show that the SiO@C/G composite with15-wt% carbon coating content exhibits the best cycle performance, with a high capacity retention of 90.7% at 25℃ and90.1% at 45 0 C after 100 cycles in full cells with LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 as cathodes. The scanning electron microscope(SEM) and electrochemistry impedance spectroscopy(EIS) results suggest that a moderate carbon coating layer can promote the formation of stable SEI film, which is favorable for maintaining good interfacial conductivity and thus enhancing the cycling stability of SiO electrode.

Effects of carbon sources on electrochemical performance of Li_4Ti_5O_(12)/C composite anode materials

Li4Ti5O12/C composite materials were synthesized by two-step solid state reaction method with glucose, sucrose, and starch as carbon sources, respectively. The effects of carbon sources on the structure, morphology, and electrochemical performance of Li4Ti5O12/C composite materials were investigated by SEM, XRD and electrochemical tests. The results indicate that carbon sources have almost no effect on the structure of Li4Ti5O12/C composite materials. The initial discharge capacities of the Li4Ti1O12/C composite materials are slightly lower than those of as-synthesized Li4Ti5O12. However, Li4Ti5O12/C composite materials show better electrochemical rate performance than the as-synthesized Li4Ti5O12. The capacity retention （79%） of the Li4Ti5O12/C composite materials with starch as carbon source, is higher than that of Li4Ti5O12/C composite materials with glucose and sucrose as carbon source at current rate of 2.0C.

Optical properties of carbon materials filled HDPE composites in THz region

The optical and electrical properties of several composites, formed by filling the high density polyethylene (HDPE) with similar amount of carbon black (CB), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) and fullerene (C60), respectively, were characterized using a THz-TDS setup. It was found that the optical parameters and the details of their variation with frequency differ significantly for different kinds of carbon materials. The results are analyzed by using Cole-Cole formula of dipole relaxation under the assumption that carbon particles dispersed in the matrix behave like dipoles and contribute mainly to the dielectric loss in the THz frequency range. Fitting results indicate that MWNT and CB filled composites have a broader distribution of the relaxation time compared with C60 which possesses a nearly single relaxation time. Compared with CB and C60, MWNT filled composite possesses the larger relaxation strength due to its higher electron density and larger conductive clusters. The real part of conductivity for three kinds of composites all follows power law behavior with respect to frequency but the exponents are quite different. These phenomena may be related to the special properties of the fillers as well as their particulate structures, such as aspect ratio, particle size, and aggregate structure, etc.

Laser‑Induced and MOF‑Derived Metal Oxide/Carbon Composite for Synergistically Improved Ethanol Sensing at Room temperature

Advancements in sensor technology have significantly enhanced atmospheric monitoring.Notably,metal oxide and carbon(MO_(x)/C)hybrids have gained attention for their exceptional sensitivity and room-temperature sensing performance.However,previous methods of synthesizing MO_(x)/C composites suffer from problems,including inhomogeneity,aggregation,and challenges in micropatterning.Herein,we introduce a refined method that employs a metal–organic framework(MOF)as a precursor combined with direct laser writing.The inherent structure of MOFs ensures a uniform distribution of metal ions and organic linkers,yielding homogeneous MO_(x)/C structures.The laser processing facilitates precise micropatterning(<2μm,comparable to typical photolithography)of the MO_(x)/C crystals.The optimized MOF-derived MO_(x)/C sensor rapidly detected ethanol gas even at room temperature(105 and 18 s for response and recovery,respectively),with a broad range of sensing performance from 170 to 3,400 ppm and a high response value of up to 3,500%.Additionally,this sensor exhibited enhanced stability and thermal resilience compared to previous MOF-based counterparts.This research opens up promising avenues for practical applications in MOF-derived sensing devices.

Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) MXene/carbon composites for advanced supercapacitors:Synthesis,progress,and perspectives

MXenes are a family of two-dimensional(2D)layered transition metal carbides/nitrides that show promising potential for energy storage applications due to their high-specific surface areas,excellent electron conductivity,good hydrophilicity,and tunable terminations.Among various types of MXenes,Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) is the most widely studied for use in capacitive energy storage applications,especially in supercapacitors(SCs).However,the stacking and oxidation of MXene sheets inevitably lead to a significant loss of electrochemically active sites.To overcome such challenges,carbon materials are frequently incorporated into MXenes to enhance their electrochemical properties.This review introduces the common strategies used for synthesizing Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x),followed by a comprehensive overview of recent developments in Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)/carbon composites as electrode materials for SCs.Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x)/carbon composites are categorized based on the dimensions of carbons,including 0D carbon dots,1D carbon nanotubes and fibers,2D graphene,and 3D carbon materials(activated carbon,polymer-derived carbon,etc.).Finally,this review also provides a perspective on developing novel MXenes/carbon composites as electrodes for application in SCs.

The Packaging Materials with Carbon Nanotube/Polymer Composites

A polymer-based carbon nano-tubes (CNTs) composite with high electromagnetic (EM) wave shielding effectiveness (SE) and with high mechanical property is developed for packaging of electronic modulus or devices.The liquid crystal polymers (LCP) and melamine formaldehydes (MF) polymer are used to study the orientation effect of CNTs in various polymeric matrix.The influences of orientation,aspect ratio,and mass fraction of CNTs upon the shielding effectiveness (SE) of CNTs-composites are investigated.The higher the orientation,aspect ratio,and weight percentages of nano-materials are, the higher the SE of the carbon composites.The highest SE for the CNTs/LCP nano composite obtained is more than 62 dB. This results may lead to the developing for CPU IC chip packaging.

Exploring the potential of olivine-containing copper-nickel slag for carbon dioxide mineralization in cementitious materials

Water-quenched copper-nickel metallurgical slag enriched with olivine minerals exhibits promising potential for the production of CO_(2)-mineralized cementitious materials.In this work,copper-nickel slag-based cementitious material(CNCM)was synthesized by using different chemical activation methods to enhance its hydration reactivity and CO_(2) mineralization capacity.Different water curing ages and carbonation conditions were explored related to their carbonation and mechanical properties development.Meanwhile,thermogravimetry differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction methods were applied to evaluate the CO_(2) adsorption amount and carbonation products of CNCM.Microstructure development of carbonated CNCM blocks was examined by backscattered electron imaging(BSE)with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry.Results showed that among the studied samples,the CNCM sample that was subjected to water curing for 3 d exhibited the highest CO_(2) sequestration amount of 8.51wt%at 80℃and 72 h while presenting the compressive strength of 39.07 MPa.This result indicated that 1 t of this CNCM can sequester 85.1 kg of CO_(2) and exhibit high compressive strength.Although the addition of citric acid did not improve strength development,it was beneficial to increase the CO_(2) diffusion and adsorption amount under the same carbonation conditions from BSE results.This work provides guidance for synthesizing CO_(2)-mineralized cementitious materials using large amounts of metallurgical slags containing olivine minerals.

Electrostatic Interaction-directed Construction of Hierarchical Nanostructured Carbon Composite with Dual Electrical Conductive Networks for Zinc-ion Hybrid Capacitors with Ultrastability

Metal-organic framework(MOF)-derived carbon composites have been considered as the promising materials for energy storage.However,the construction of MOF-based composites with highly controllable mode via the liquid-liquid synthesis method has a great challenge because of the simultaneous heterogeneous nucleation on substrates and the self-nucleation of individual MOF nanocrystals in the liquid phase.Herein,we report a bidirectional electrostatic generated self-assembly strategy to achieve the precisely controlled coatings of single-layer nanoscale MOFs on a range of substrates,including carbon nanotubes(CNTs),graphene oxide(GO),MXene,layered double hydroxides(LDHs),MOFs,and SiO_(2).The obtained MOF-based nanostructured carbon composite exhibits the hierarchical porosity(V_(meso)/V_(micro)∶2.4),ultrahigh N content of 12.4 at.%and"dual electrical conductive networks."The assembled aqueous zinc-ion hybrid capacitor(ZIC)with the prepared nanocarbon composite as a cathode shows a high specific capacitance of 236 F g^(-1)at 0.5 A g^(-1),great rate performance of 98 F g^(-1)at 100 A g^(-1),and especially,an ultralong cycling stability up to 230000 cycles with the capacitance retention of 90.1%.This work develops a repeatable and general method for the controlled construction of MOF coatings on various functional substrates and further fabricates carbon composites for ZICs with ultrastability.

Durability Testing of Composite Aerospace Materials Based on a New Polymer Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Resin

In this study,the durability of a new polymer carbonfiber-reinforced epoxy resin used to produce composite material in the aerospacefield is investigated through analysis of the corrosion phenomena occurring at the microscopic scale,and the related infrared spectra and thermal properties.It is found that light and heat can con-tribute to the aging process.In particular,the longitudinal tensile strength displays a non-monotonic trend,i.e.,itfirst increases and then decreases over time.By contrast,the longitudinal compressive and inter-laminar shear strengths do not show significant changes.It is also shown that the inter-laminar shear strength of carbonfiber/epoxy resin composites with inter-laminar hybrid structure is better than that of pure carbonfiber materials.The related resistance to corrosion can be improved by more than 41%.

Heat transfer enhanced inorganic phase change material compositing carbon nanotubes for battery thermal management and thermal runaway propagation mitigation

Developing technologies that can be applied simultaneously in battery thermal management(BTM)and thermal runaway(TR)mitigation is significant to improving the safety of lithium-ion battery systems.Inorganic phase change material(PCM)with nonflammability has the potential to achieve this dual function.This study proposed an encapsulated inorganic phase change material(EPCM)with a heat transfer enhancement for battery systems,where Na_(2)HPO_(4)·12H_(2)O was used as the core PCM encapsulated by silica and the additive of carbon nanotube(CNT)was applied to enhance the thermal conductivity.The microstructure and thermal properties of the EPCM/CNT were analyzed by a series of characterization tests.Two different incorporating methods of CNT were compared and the proper CNT adding amount was also studied.After preparation,the battery thermal management performance and TR propagation mitigation effects of EPCM/CNT were further investigated on the battery modules.The experimental results of thermal management tests showed that EPCM/CNT not only slowed down the temperature rising of the module but also improved the temperature uniformity during normal operation.The peak battery temperature decreased from 76℃to 61.2℃at 2 C discharge rate and the temperature difference was controlled below 3℃.Moreover,the results of TR propagation tests demonstrated that nonflammable EPCM/CNT with good heat absorption could work as a TR barrier,which exhibited effective mitigation on TR and TR propagation.The trigger time of three cells was successfully delayed by 129,474 and 551 s,respectively and the propagation intervals were greatly extended as well.

Carbon-coated ZnO Nanocomposite Microspheres as Anode Materials for Lithium-ion Batteries

The carbon-coated ZnO nanospheres materials have been synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method.The effect of carbon content on the microstructure,morphology and electrochemical performance of the materials was investigated by XRD,Raman spectroscopy,transmission electron microscopy,scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical techniques.Research results show that the spherical ZnO/C material with a carbon cladding content of 10%is very homogeneous and approximately 200 nm in size.The electrochemical performances of the ZnO/C nanospheres as an anode materials are examines.The ZnO/C exhibits better stability than pure ZnO,excellent lithium storage properties as well as improved circulation performance.The Coulomb efficiency of the ZnO/C with 10%carbon coated content reaches 98%.The improvement of electrochemical performance can be attributed to the carbon layer on the ZnO surface.The large volume change of ZnO during the charge-discharge process can be effectively relieved.

High-Strength Carbon Materials and Elastomers on the Basis of Carbon-Silicon Nanocomposites

The processes for obtaining C-SiO2 and C-βSiC nanocomposites from the rice hulls have been studied. On the basis of these composites, some carbon materials and rubber products with the increased physical and mechanical properties have been obtained. The tensile strength of the carbon products with C-SiO2 is 92-96 MPa and with C-βSiC： 112-118 MPa in comparison with 70-80 MPa for standard products from artificial graphite. Nominal strength and resistance to tensile strain of the carbon material with C-SiO2 increase by 15%-20% as compared to the carbon material with carbon black.