Electrochemical power tools, fabricated using the natural-based electrospun fibers, are regarded as essential keys in a world that is becoming increasingly reliant on fossil fuels in order to meet the challenges of rapidly depleting fossil fuel supplies.

In the present study, we tackle the sustainable batteries topic by addressing its most defining aspects, namely what kind of waste material should be employed and its treatment for realizing performant battery anodes. In this regard, we focus on leather shaving waste (LSW), as it is an important waste element in many economies, resulting in an advantageous choice both from an environmental point of view and in terms of the circular economy. Herein, especially metal-free LSW is used to introduce an innovative kind of eco-friendly anode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). A pyrolysis process of the waste material is adopted to form biochar, followed by its texture engineering through either steam or CO₂, both of them recognized as safe and environmentally friendly procedures. Indeed, these procedures develop hierarchical micro/mesopores in the biochar and modify the amount of oxygen-containing functional groups on its surface, which can lead to high-performance anodes. In this respect, when a water-based solvent and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) binder are employed, the fabricated electrode discloses high initial capacities and remarkable electrochemical stability in lithium-metal half-cells. In particular, the steam-activated electrode demonstrates a specific discharge capacity of 735 mA h g⁻¹ after 1000 charge and discharge cycles at 0.5 A g⁻¹. This anode electrode also secures an excellent initial capacity and acceptable cycling stability in full-cell LIBs where a high mass LiFePO₄ loading cathode is employed. The results reported here represent a noticeable improvement with respect to the state of the art, hence demonstrating the enormous potential associated with the green re-use of waste materials in important sectors such as energy storage.

The realization of a stable lithium‐metal free (LiMF) sulfur battery based on amorphous carbon anode and lithium sulfide (Li₂S) cathode is here reported. In particular, a biomass waste originating full‐cell combining a carbonized brewer's spent grain (CBSG) biochar anode with a Li₂S‐graphene composite cathode (Li₂S70Gr30) is proposed. This design is particularly attractive for applying a cost‐effective, high performance, environment friendly, and safe anode material, as an alternative to standard graphite and metallic lithium in emerging battery technologies. The anodic and cathodic materials are characterized in terms of structure, morphology and composition through X‐ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron and Raman spectroscopies. Furthermore, an electrochemical characterization comprising galvanostatic cycling, rate capability and cyclic voltammetry tests were carried out both in half‐cell and full‐cell configurations. The systematic investigation reveals that unlike graphite, the biochar electrode displays good compatibility with the electrolyte typically employed in sulfur batteries. The CBSG/Li₂S70Gr30 full‐cell demonstrates an initial charge and discharge capacities of 726 and 537 mAh g⁻¹, respectively, at 0.05C with a coulombic efficiency of 74%. Moreover, it discloses a reversible capacity of 330 mAh g⁻¹ (0.1C) after over 300 cycles. Based on these achievements, the CBSG/Li₂S70Gr30 battery system can be considered as a promising energy storage solution for electric vehicles (EVs), especially when taking into account its easy scalability to an industrial level.

Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄ or LFP) is a promising cathode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), but side reactions between the electrolyte and the LFP electrode can degrade battery performance. This study introduces an innovative coating strategy, using atomic layer deposition (ALD) to apply a thin (5 nm and 10 nm) Al₂O₃ layer onto high-mass loading LFP electrodes. Galvanostatic charge–discharge cycling and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to assess the electrochemical performance of coated and uncoated LFP electrodes. The results show that Al₂O₃ coatings enhance the cycling performance at room temperature (RT) and 40 °C by suppressing side reactions and stabilizing the cathode–electrolyte interface (CEI). The coated LFP retained 67% of its capacity after 100 cycles at 1C and RT, compared to 57% for the uncoated sample. Post-mortem analyses, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), were conducted to investigate the mechanisms behind the improved performance. These analyses reveal that Al₂O₃ coatings are highly effective in reducing LFP electrode degradation during cycling, demonstrating the potential of ALD Al₂O₃ coatings to enhance the durability and performance of LFP electrodes in LIBs.

Lithium‐sulfur batteries are emerging as sustainable replacements for current lithium‐ion batteries. The commercial viability of this novel type of battery is still under debate due to the extensive use of highly reactive lithium‐metal anodes and the complex electrochemistry of the sulfur cathode. In this research, a novel sulfur‐based battery has been proposed that eliminates the need for metallic lithium anodes and other critical raw materials like cobalt and graphite, replacing them with biomass‐derived materials. This approach presents numerous benefits, encompassing ample availability, cost‐effectiveness, safety, and environmental friendliness. In particular, two types of biochar‐based anode electrodes (non‐activated and activated biochar) derived from spent common ivy have been investigated as alternatives to metallic lithium. We compared their structural and electrochemical properties, both of which exhibited good compatibility with the typical electrolytes used in sulfur batteries. Surprisingly, while steam activation results in an increased specific surface area, the non‐activated ivy biochar demonstrates better performance than the activated biochar, achieving a stable capacity of 400 mA h g⁻¹ at 0.1 A g⁻¹ and a long lifespan (>400 cycles at 0.5 A g⁻¹). Our results demonstrate that the presence of heteroatoms, such as oxygen and nitrogen positively affects the capacity and cycling performance of the electrodes. This led to increased d‐spacing in the graphitic layer, a strong interaction with the solid electrolyte interphase layer, and improved ion transportation. Finally, the non‐activated biochar was successfully coupled with a sulfur cathode to fabricate lithium‐metal‐free sulfur batteries, delivering a specific energy density of ~600 Wh kg⁻¹.

In order to push forward the concept of sodium-ion batteries, a facile and cost effective synthesis method for achieving high performance anodes has been developed based on a dual modification of pristine anatase TiO₂.