Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have garnered widespread attention due to their promising development and application prospects. However, progress of AZIBs has been hindered by zinc (Zn) dendrites and side reactions at the electrode-electrolyte interface (EEI). In particular, the large and uneven pores of commercial glass fiber (GF) separators lead to nonuniform Zn²⁺ transport, which causes side reactions. In this study, we employed nanodiamonds (NDs) to regulate the separator pore structure and utilized its surface oxygen-containing functional groups to control the Zn²⁺ transport properties. Due to their excellent chemical inertness, superhardness, ultrahigh thermal conductivity, and abundant surface functional groups, NDs modified GF separators for dendrite-free and high-performance AZIBs. Experimental outcomes demonstrate that Zn||Zn symmetric cells using NDs-GF separators exhibit regular charge-discharge profiles, minimal fluctuations, and an ultralong cycling lifespan of nearly 1800 h under a current density of 5 mA cm^-2 with a capacity density of 1 mAh cm^-2 and 240 h under a high current density of 10 mA cm^-2 with a capacity density of 10 mAh cm^-2. The Zn||MnO₂ full cells using NDs-GF separators showcase a high retention after 1000 cycles at 1 A g^-1. This research proposes a modification method for developing advanced separators in AZIBs technology.

Boron (B) termination plays an important role in determining the surface properties of the diamond (100) surface. A recent study [J. Mater. Chem. C, 2019, 7, 9756] reported a stable surface structure with one B atom per carbon atom based on high-symmetry adsorption sites having a negative electron affinity (EA) property. In this work, using the global structure prediction method and first-principle calculations, four kinds of B-diamond (100) surfaces with 0.5 monolayers (0.5 ML, one B atom per two carbon atoms), and 1 ML-α, 1 ML-β, and 1 ML-γ (one B atom per carbon atom with three types of configurations known as α, β, and γ) coverages obtained are dynamically and thermally stable. The calculations reveal that B termination effectively modulates the EA of the diamond (100) surface. The 0.5 ML coverage has a small positive EA of 0.24 eV, while the latter three 1 ML coverages with different configurations possess the negative EA of −1.27, −1.25, and −0.76 eV, respectively, due to the difference in charge accumulation and surface dipole moment. Moreover, the B-related surface states are introduced into the bandgap of the bulk diamond, and the band dispersions of the surface states are small (large) in 0.5 ML and 1 ML-γ (1 ML-α and 1 ML-β) as a consequence of the different arrangements of B atoms and the bond lengths between B atoms on the surface. Our finding provides theoretical guidance for the design and fabrication of B-diamond-based electronic devices.

In this work, we report a new type of anode consisting of mixed detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) hollow nanospheres (HNSs) for improving the specific capacity and cycle stability of lithium ion batteries (LIBs).

Developing novel supercapacitor electrodes with high energy density and good cycle stability has aroused great interest. Herein, the vertically aligned CoNiO2/Co3O4 nanosheet arrays anchored on boron doped diamond (BDD) films are designed and fabricated by a simple one-step electrodeposition method. The CoNiO2/Co3O4/BDD electrode possesses a large specific capacitance (214 mF cm−2) and a long-term capacitance retention (85.9% after 10,000 cycles), which is attributed to the unique two-dimensional nanosheet architecture, high conductivity of CoNiO2/Co3O4 and the wide potential window of diamond. Nanosheet materials with an ultrathin thickness can decrease the diffusion length of ions, increase the contact area with electrolyte, as well as improve active material utilization, which leads to an enhanced electrochemical performance. Additionally, CoNiO2/Co3O4/BDD is fabricated as the positive electrode with activated carbon as the negative electrode, this assembled asymmetric supercapacitor exhibits an energy density of 7.5 W h kg−1 at a power density of 330.5 W kg−1 and capacity retention rate of 97.4% after 10,000 cycles in 6 M KOH. This work would provide insights into the design of advanced electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors.