We report on a free-standing 3D-printed Si/PEDOT:PSS/PEG electrode based on silicon nanoparticles (Si) as an active material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) that are fabricated by 3D printing via digital light processing (DLP). Compared with the Si electrode prepared by the traditional method, the 3D-printed Si/PEDOT:PSS/PEG electrode developed by DLP preserves a specific discharge capacity of 1658.4 mA h g⁻¹, with a capacity fade of 0.3% per cycle at a current density of 800 mA g⁻¹ after 125 cycles. This helps in maintaining its structural integrity and enables it to exhibit significantly high flexibility with an enhanced load of 4.2 mg cm⁻². The resulting free-standing electrode shows that 3D printing has significant potential for application to a variety of LIB technologies.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are experiencing explosive developments due to their advantages in energy conservation and environmental protection. As a pivotal component of EVs, the safety performance of lithium-ion batteries directly affects driving miles and even safety; hence, a battery thermal management system (BTMS) is especially important. To improve the thermal safety performance of power battery modules, first, a new leak-proof phase change material (PCM)-coupled liquid-cooled composite BTMS for large-scale battery modules is proposed in this research. Second, the numerical simulation analysis method was utilized to analyze the influences of the fluid flow channel shape, working fluid inlet temperature, inlet velocity, and reverse flow conditions on the BTMS. Eventually, the abovementioned performances were compared with the traditional PCM-coupled liquid-cooling strategy. The relative data indicated that the T_max was reduced by 17.5% and the ΔT_max was decreased by 19.5% compared to the liquid-cooling approach. Further, compared with conventionally designed PCM composite liquid cooling, the ΔT_max was reduced by 34.9%. The corresponding data showed that, when using the e-type flow channel, reverse flow II, the inlet flow velocity was 0.001–0.005 m/s, and the inlet temperature was the ambient temperature of the working condition. The thermal performance of the anti-leakage system with a thermal conduction slot PCM-coupled liquid-cooling composite BTMS reached optimal thermal performance. The outcome proved the superiority of the proposed BTMS regarding temperature control and temperature equalization capabilities. It also further reduced the demand for liquid-cooling components, avoided the problem of the easy leakage of the PCM, and decreased energy consumption.

As the thickness of an ultra-thin flattened heat pipe (UTHP) decreases, the fabrication difficulty increases exponentially, and the thermal performance deteriorates rapidly. In this study, three types of composite wicks were developed for UTHPs with a 0.6 mm thickness: copper foam and mesh wick (CFMW), two layers of different mesh wick (TDMW), and three layers of the same mesh wick (TSMW). The startup and steady-state performances of the UTHPs with liquid filling ratios of 60% to 120% were investigated. The findings indicated that the CFMW UTHP with a filling ratio of 100% exhibited the best startup performance, with the highest equilibrium temperature of 58.37 °C. The maximum heat transport capacities of the CFMW, TDMW, and TSMW UTHP samples were 9, 8, and 8.5 W, respectively, at their corresponding optimum filling ratios of 110%, 90%, and 100%. The CFMW UTHP exhibited the lowest evaporation and condensation thermal resistances of 0.151 and 0.189 K/W, respectively, which were 24.67% and 41.85% lower than those of the TSMW UTHP. CFMW can be used to improve the thermal performance of UTHPs. This study provides important guidelines for the structural design, fabrication technology, and performance improvement of high-performance UTHPs used in portable electronic devices.

Large cations such as potassium ion (K⁺) and sodium ion (Na⁺) could be introduced into the lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery system during material synthesis or battery assembly. However, the effect of these cations on charge storage or electrochemical performance has not been fully understood. In this study, sodium ion was taken as an example and introduced into the lithium titanium oxide (LTO) anode through the carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) binder. After the charge/discharge cycles, these ions doped into the LTO lattice and improved both the lithium-ion diffusivity and the electronic conductivity of the anode. The sodium ion’s high concentration (>12.9%), however, resulted in internal doping of Na⁺ into the LTO lattice, which retarded the transfer of lithium ions due to repulsion and physical blocking. The systematic study presented here shows that large cations with an appropriate concentration in the electrode would be beneficial to the electrochemical performance of the Li-ion battery.

The proton exchange membrane electrolysis cell (PEMEC) has attracted considerable attention for large-scale and efficient hydrogen production because of its high current density, high hydrogen purity and fast dynamic response. Flow field distributions and water and thermal management characteristics of a PEMEC are vital for electrolytic cell structure and the determination of operating condition. A three-dimensional, non-isothermal, electrochemical model of a PEMEC was established in this manuscript. The flow field distribution and water and thermal management of the PEMEC are discussed. The corresponding results showed that the pressure of the flow channel decreased diagonally from the inlet to the outlet, and the pressure and velocity distribution exhibited a downward opening shape of a parabola. At the same inlet flow rate, when the voltage was 1.6 V, the oxygen generation rate was 15.74 mol/(cm²·s), and when the voltage was 2.2 V, the oxygen generation rate was 332.05 mol/(cm²·s); due to the change in the oxygen production rate, the pressure difference at 2.2 V was 2.5 times than that at 1.6 V. When the stoichiometric number was less than two, the average temperature of the catalyst layer (CL) decreased rapidly with the increase in the water flow rate. When the voltage decreased to 2.1 V, the current density came to the highest value when the stoichiometric number was 0.7, then the current density decreased with an increase in the stoichiometric number. When stoichiometric numbers were higher than five, the surface temperature and current density remained basically stable with the increase in the water flow rate, and the water and thermal management and electrolysis characteristics performed better. The research results could optimize the water supply of electrolysis cells. According to the velocity distribution law of the flow field, the water and thermal management performance of the PEMEC could be estimated, further promoting safety and reliability.

Correction for ‘DLP printing of a flexible micropattern Si/PEDOT:PSS/PEG electrode for lithium-ion batteries’ by Xinliang Ye et al. , Chem. Commun. , 2022, 58 , 7642–7645, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2CC01626E.