A thin Si nanowire network anode for high volumetric capacity and long-life lithium-ion batteries

Silicon nanowires(Si NWs)have been widely researched as the best alternative to graphite anodes for the next-generation of high-performance lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)owing to their high capacity and low discharge potential.However,growing binder-free Si NW anodes with adequate mass loading and stable capacity is severely limited by the low surface area of planar current collectors(CCs),and is particularly challenging to achieve on standard pure-Cu substrates due to the ubiquitous formation of Li+inactive silicide phases.Here,the growth of densely-interwoven In-seeded Si NWs is facilitated by a thin-film of copper-silicide(CS)network in situ grown on a Cu-foil,allowing for a thin active NW layer(<10μm thick)and high areal loading(≈1.04 mg/cm^(2))binder-free electrode architecture.The electrode exhibits an average Coulombic efficiency(CE)of>99.6%and stable performance for>900 cycles with≈88.7%capacity retention.More significantly,it delivers a volumetric capacity of≈1086.1 m A h/cm^(3)at 5C.The full-cell versus lithium manganese oxide(LMO)cathode delivers a capacity of≈1177.1 m A h/g at 1C with a stable rate capability.This electrode architecture represents significant advances toward the development of binder-free Si NW electrodes for LIB application.

GaN nanowires/Si photocathodes for CO_(2) reduction towards solar fuels and chemicals: advances, challenges, and prospects

Photoelectrocatalytic(PEC)production of fuels and chemicals by using solar energy,water,and CO_(2) paves a promising avenue toward carbon neutrality.Over the past decades,for accelerating this process,a variety of photocathodes have been explored.Among them,the hybrid of GaN nanowires(NWs)and planar silicon has appeared as a disruptive platform for this grand topic,owing to their distinctive structural,optoelectronic,and catalytic properties.This review illustrates the most recent advances in GaN NWs/Si-based photocathodes for CO_(2) reduction reactions powered by simulated sunlight,beginning with a discussion of the critical requirements and fundamental challenges of PEC CO_(2) reduction.The characteristics of GaN NWs/Si are then discussed,showing its great potential in precisely controlling the behavior of photons,charges,and chemical species.As the focus of this review,the progress on the PEC CO_(2) reduction reactions toward different products over GaN NWs/Si-based photocathodes is highlighted.In the end,the challenges and prospects of GaN NWs/Si-based photocathodes for the practical synthesis of solarfuels and chemicals are proposed.