Developing highly efficient anchoring materials to suppress sodium polysulfides (NaPSs) shuttling is vital for the practical applications of sodium sulfur (Na-S) batteries. Herein, we systematically investigated pristine graphene and metal-N₄@graphene (metal = Fe, Co, and Mn) as host materials for sulfur cathode to adsorb NaPSs via first-principles theory calculations. The computing results reveal that Fe-N₄@graphene is a fairly promising anchoring material, in which the formed chemical bonds of Fe-S and N-Na ensure the stable adsorption of NaPSs. Furthermore, the doped transition metal iron could not only dramatically enhance the electronic conductivity and the adsorption strength of soluble NaPSs, but also significantly lower the decomposition energies of Na₂S and Na₂S₂ on the surface of Fe-N₄@graphene, which could effectively promote the full discharge of Na-S batteries. Our research provides a deep insight into the mechanism of anchoring and electrocatalytic effect of Fe-N₄@graphene in sulfur cathode, which would be beneficial for the development of high-performance Na-S batteries.

SnO₂ has attracted extensive research attentions as a promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to its high theoretical capacity. However, its application is largely hindered by sluggish sodium ion diffusion and drastic volume change during the conversion reaction and alloying process. Herein, ultra-fine SnO₂ nanocrystals (3–5 nm) anchored on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is demonstrated as a promising anode material for SIBs. Ultra-fine SnO₂ nanocrystals are uniformly grown on rGO sheets by a facile one-step hydrothermal process. Nano-scaled SnO₂ grains tolerate volume expansion and provide shortened diffusion pathway for sodium ions, and meanwhile rGO acts as an excellent conductive matrix, thus endowing the composite electrode with excellent electrochemical performance. More importantly, the ratio of SnO₂ to rGO in the composite is optimized. The optimized sample delivers an initial charge capacity of 518 mAh g⁻¹ at a current density of 50 mA g⁻¹, and 504 mAh g⁻¹ after 300 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g⁻¹. Furthermore, a capacity of 287 mAh g⁻¹ can be maintained after 1000 cycles at a current density of 1000 mA g⁻¹.

Aqueous zinc metal batteries are hindered by the prominent interfacial issues of the Zn anode, such as dendrite growth and intricate side reactions. The in situ construction of a stable solid‐electrolyte interphase (SEI) to address these issues remains a critical challenge, especially under high current density and harsh temperature conditions. Herein, inspired by the absorption of nutrients through plant epidermis, a gradient biomimetic multilayer self‐assembled SEI is constructed. This multilayer biomimetic SEI integrates an outer hydrophobic layer that repels water molecules to create a water‐poor interface, suppressing hydrogen evolution and facilitating Zn ²⁺ desolvation. The middle‐crosslinked layer stabilizes the SEI structure and captures SO ₄ ²⁻ to mitigate side reactions, enabling dynamic interfacial regulation. Meanwhile, the innermost adsorption layer regulates Zn ²⁺ flux, promoting uniform planar deposition along the (002) crystal plane. Benefiting from the existence of biomimetic gradient SEI, the Zn||Zn cell delivers a cycling life of over 2250 h at 20 mA cm ⁻² , and at ultrahigh current densities (50 and 100 mA cm ⁻² ), it delivers 12 250 and 1200 cycles, respectively. Furthermore, the pouch cells coupled with I ₂ deliver 1.6 Ah. This bioinspired, customizable multilayer SEI achieves Ah‐scale performance and wide‐temperature adaptability, providing valuable insights into the advancement of practical aqueous batteries.

In this work, the equal-water activities for the ternary system LiCl−KCl−H₂O and its sub-binary systems LiCl−H₂O were determined using an isopiestic method at 323.15 K. The determined isopiestic composition lines for the LiCl−KCl−H₂O system were found to deviated Zdanovskii rule high with increasing ionic strength of the mixture solution. The addition of KCl to an aqueous solution of LiCl was found to decrease and increase the water activity at low and high LiCl molality. The Pitzer–Simonson–Clegg (PSC) model was used to represent the experimental determined water activities of the titled system and the calculated values are discussed. Based on the calculated results, the turning point appears at about 17.0 mol kg⁻¹ LiCl solution.