Comparative study on CO_2 sources in soil developed on carbonate rock and non-carbonate rock in Central Guizhou

In this paper, by using concentration and carbon stable isotope the CO2 sources of soil profiles developed on limestone, dolostone and claystone basements in Central Guizhou, China are comparatively studied. The results show that CO2 concentration of soil profiles developed on different basements is different, having the following sequence: limestone>dolostone>claystone. Below the soil depth of 20 cm from the surface the δ13C value of CO2 in soil profile developed on limestone ranges from -12.811‰--13.492‰(PDB), that in soil profile developed on dolostone varys from -13.212‰--14.271‰(PDB) and that in soil profile developed on claystone is about -20.234‰- -21.485‰(PDB). Taking the carbon isotope of soil organic matter and carbonate rock as two isotopic endmembers, the proportion of soil CO2 generated by dissolution of carbonate rock is calculated, about 21%-25% for soil profile developed on limestone basement, 19%-21% for soil profile developed on dolostone basement. There is almost no influx of CO2 generated by the dissolution of carbonate rock in soil profile developed on claystone basement.

Recent advances in the synthesis of non-carbon two-dimensional electrode materials for the aqueous electrolyte-based supercapacitors

Supercapacitors(SCs) with high power density and long cycling span life are demanding energy storage devices that will be an attractive power solution to modern electronic and electrical applications. Numerous theoretical and experimental works have been devoted to exploring various possibilities to increase the functionality and the specific capacitance of electrodes for SCs. Non-carbon two-dimensional(2D)materials have been considered as encouraging electrode candidates for their chemical and physical advantages such as tunable surface chemistry, high electronic conductivity, large mechanical strength, more active sites, and dual non-faradaic and faradaic electrochemical performances. Besides, these 2D materials also play particular roles in constructing highway channels for fast ion diffusion. This concise review summarizes cutting-edge progress of some representative 2D non-carbon materials for the aqueous electrolyte-based SCs, including transition metal oxides(TMOs), transition metal hydroxides(TMHs), transition metal chalcogenides(TMCs), MXenes, metal-organic frameworks(MOFs) and some emerging materials. Different synthetic methods, effective structural designs and corresponding electrochemical performances are reviewed in detail. And we finally present a detailed discussion of the current intractable challenges and technical bottlenecks, and highlight future directions and opportunities for the development of next-generation high-performance energy storage devices.

Strategies for improving the storage performance of silicon-based anodes in lithium-ion batteries

Silicon has attracted much attention as a promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its high theoretical capacity and rich resource abundance. However, the practical battery use of Si is challenged by its low conductivity and drastic volume variation during the Li uptake/release process. Tremendous efforts have been made on shrinking the particle size of Si into nanoscale so that the volume variation could be accommodated. However, the bare nano-Si material would still pulverize upon (de)lithiation. Moreover, it shows an excessive surface area to invite unlimited growth of solid electrolyte interface that hinders the transportation of charge carriers, and an increased interparticle resistance. As a result, the Si nanoparticles gradually lose their electrical contact during the cycling process, which accounts for poor thermodynamic stability and sluggish kinetics of the anode reaction versus Li. To address these problems and improve the Li storage performance of nano-Si anode, proper structural design should be applied on the Si anode. In this perspective, we will briefly review some strategies for improving the electrochemistry versus Li of nano-Si materials and their derivatives, and show opinions on the optimal design of nanostructured Si anode for advanced LIBs.