Comparative structural and electrochemical properties of mixed P2/O′3-layered sodium nickel manganese oxide prepared by sol-gel and electrospinning methods:Effect of Na-excess content

The effect of Na-excess content in the precursor on the structural and electrochemical performances of sodium nickel manganese oxide(NNMO)prepared by sol-gel and electrospinning methods is investigated in this paper.X-ray diffraction results of the prepared NNMO without adding Na-excess content indicate sodium loss,while the mixed phase of P2/O′3-type layered NNMO presented after adding Na-excess content.Compared with the sol-gel method,the secondary phase of NiO is more suppressed by using the electrospinning method,which is further confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscope images.N_(2) adsorption-desorption isotherms show no remarkably difference in specific surface areas between different preparation methods and Na-excess contents.The analysis of X-ray absorption near edge structure indicates that the oxidation states of Ni and Mn are+2 and+4,respectively.For the electrochemical properties,superior electrochemical performance is observed in the NNMO electrode with a low Na-excess content of 5wt%.The highest specific capacitance is 36.07 F·g^(-1)at0.1 A·g^(-1)in the NNMO electrode prepared by using the sol-gel method.By contrast,the NNMO electrode prepared using the electrospinning method with decreased Na-excess content shows excellent cycling stability of 100%after charge-discharge measurements for 300 cycles.Therefore,controlling the Na excess in the precursor together with the preparation method is important for improving the electrochemical performance of Na-based electrode materials in supercapacitors.

Synthesis of Ordered Ultra-long Manganite Nanowires via Electrospinning Method

We develop a new electrospinning method to prepare ultra-long ordered La1-xSrxMnO3 （LSMO） nanowires. The length is up to several centimeters and is only limited by the size of the collector. The well-ordered straight-line structure ensures the transport measurement, which is impossible to be carried out for the random nanowires fabricated by the traditional electrospinning method. Magnetic and transport measurements indicate that the physical properties of the LSMO nanowires depend sensitively on the doping concentration. At the optimum doping, the LSMO wires are ferromagnetic at room temperature with a metal-insulator transition temperature close to room temperature. Magnetic force microscopy studies are also performed to provide a microscopic view of these ultra-long nanowires.

Preparation and Ethanol Sensing Properties of ZnO Nanofibers

ZnO nanofibers with an average diameter of about 90 nm were prepared by an electrospinning method combined with a calcination process. The as-electrospun nanofibers before and after calcination were characterized by means of differential thermal analysis（DTA）, thermal gravimetric analysis（TGA）, X-ray diffraction（XRD） and scanning electron microscopy（SEM）. The fibers after calcination at 600 °C belong to the hexagonal wurtzite structure. The sensor based on ZnO nanofibers exhibited excellent ethanol sensing properties at 206 °C such as good linear dependence in the low concentration（1―100 μL/L）, high response, and good selectivity. Fast response（less than 2 s） and recovery（about 16 s） were also observed in our investigations.

3D Free-Standing Carbon Nanofibers Modified by Lithiophilic Metals Enabling Dendrite-Free Anodes for Li Metal Batteries

Li metal with high-energy density is considered as the most promising anode for the next-generation rechargeable Li metal batteries;however,the growth of Li dendrites seriously hinders its practical application.Herein,3D free-standing carbon nanofibers modified by lithiophilic metal particles(CNF/Me,Me=Sn,Fe,Co)are obtained in situ by the electrospinning method.Benefiting from the lithophilicity,the CNF/Me composite may effectively prevent the formation of Li dendrites in the Li metal batteries.The optimized CNF/Sn–Li composite electrode exhibits a stable cycle life of over 2350 h during Li plating/stripping.When matched with typical commercial LiFePO_(4)(LFP)cathode,the LFP//CNF/Sn–Li full cell presents a high initial discharge specific capacity of 139 mAh g^(−1)at 1 C,which remains at 146 mAh g^(−1)after 400 cycles.When another state-of-the-art commercial LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)O_(2)(NCM(811))cathode is used,the assembled NCM//CNF/Sn–Li full cell shows a large initial specific discharge capacity of 206 mAh g^(−1)at substantially enhanced 10 C,which keeps at the good capacity of 99 mAh g^(−1)after 300 cycles.These results are greatly superior to the counterparts with Li as the anodes,indicating the great potential for practical utilization of the advanced CNF/Sn–Li electrode.

Biodegradable composite polymer as advanced gel electrolyte for quasi-solid-state lithium-metal battery

The development of low-cost and eco-friendly gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) with a wide window, ideal compatibility, and structural stability is an effective measure to achieve safe high-energy-density lithium-metal batteries. Herein, a biodegradable composite polyacrylonitrile/poly-L-lactic acid nanofiber membrane (PAL) is synthesized and used as a robust skeleton for GPEs. The 3D nanofiber membrane (PAL-3-C12) prepared with an adjusted weight ratio of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) and spinning solution concentration delivers decent thermal stability, biodegradability, and liquid electrolyte absorbability. The “passivation effect” of PAN upon lithium metal is effectively alleviated by hydrogen bonds formed in the PAL chains. These advantages enable PAL GPEs to work stably to 5.17 ​V while maintaining high ionic conductivity as well as excellent corrosion resistance and dielectric properties. The interfacial compatibility of optimized GPEs promotes the stable operation of a Li||PAL-3-C12 GPEs||Li symmetric battery for 1000 ​h at 0.15 ​mA ​cm^(−2)/0.15 ​mA ​h cm^(−2), and the LiFePO4 full cell retains capacity retention of 97.63% after 140 cycles at 1C.