Water-dispersible silicon nano-quills (SiNQs) with unique porous morphology and composition promote the advancement of high-Si-content anodes with fast charging/discharging capabilities.

Amidst the swift expansion of the electric vehicle industry, the imperative for alternative battery technologies that balance economic feasibility with sustainability has reached unprecedented importance. Herein, we utilized Perovskite-based oxide compounds barium titanate (BaTiO₃) and strontium titanate (SrTiO₃) nanoparticles as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries from straightforward and standard carbonate-based electrolyte with 10% fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) additive [1M LiPF₆ (1:1 EC: DEC) + 10% FEC]. SrTiO₃ and BaTiO₃ electrodes can deliver a high specific capacity of 80 mA h g⁻¹ at a safe and low average working potential of ≈0.6 V vs. Li/Li⁺ with excellent high-rate performance with specific capacity of ~90 mA h g⁻¹ at low current density of 20 mA g⁻¹ and specific capacity of ~80 mA h g⁻¹ for over 500 cycles at high current density of 100 mA g⁻¹. Our findings pave the way for the direct utilization of perovskite-type materials as anode materials in Li-ion batteries due to their promising potential for Li⁺ ion storage. This investigation addresses the escalating market demands in a sustainable manner and opens avenues for the investigation of diverse perovskite oxides as advanced anodes for next-generation metal-ion batteries.

Due to high theoretical capacity, low cost, and high energy density, sodium-sulfur (Na-S) batteries are attractive for next-generation grid-level storage systems. However, the polysulfide shuttle leads to a rapid capacity loss in sodium-sulfur batteries with elemental sulfur as the cathode material. Most previous studies have focused on nanoengineering methods for creating stable Na anodes and S cathodes. A proven strategy to mitigate the shuttle effect is to covalently bond elemental sulfur to a polymeric backbone and use it as the active ingredient instead of elemental sulfur. In this regard, we synthesized sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) cathodes. In addition to the electrodes, electrolyte selection is crucial for sodium sulfur batteries with long cycle life, high energy densities, and rate capabilities. Thus, we explored various electrolyte compositions; specifically organic solvents such as propylene carbonate (PC), dioxolane (DOL), dimethoxyethane, and diglyme (DIG) were mixed in different proportions to create electrolyte solvents with both ethers and carbonates to promote the formation of bilateral solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). This bilateral SEI strategy has been employed to prevent polysulfide shuttle and dendrite growth in lithium-sulfur batteries. Sodium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (NaTFSI) was chosen as the electrolyte salt. The prepared coin cells were tested for rate capability and capacity retention, and the results have been analyzed. High initial discharge capacity of ∼740 mAh g−1 with ∼66% capacity retention over 100 cycles was observed for 0.8M NaTFSI in PC50DOL50 (v/v). The cell with 0.8M NaTFSI in PC50DIG50 has exhibited strong capacity retention of 74.60% with excellent Coulombic efficiency of 99%. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out to further understand these results.

This article was originally published online on 18 March 2024 with errors on page 1. The instances of “mg/kg−1” and “mg/1−1” on lines 16 and 17 have been c This article was originally published online on 18 March 2024 with errors on page 1. The instances of “mg/kg−1” and “mg/1−1” on lines 16 and 17 have been c

Silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) has emerged as a promising anode material for next‐generation lithium‐ion batteries owing to its structural stability and ability to accommodate large amounts of lithium. However, its practical application is often limited by insufficient electronic conductivity and poor electrochemical utilization of active silicon‐rich domains, particularly under high‐rate operation. In this work, we report a surface‐engineering strategy in which synthesized silicon‐rich SiOC is integrated with chemically modified reduced graphene oxide (rGO) through a facile freeze‐drying process to construct a highly conductive Si‐rich SiOC‐rGO composite anode. The achieved electrochemical performance surpasses that of many previously reported doped SiOC anodes, highlighting surface‐engineered silicon‐rich SiOC‐rGO composites as an attractive alternative to more complex compositional modification strategies. The interconnected rGO network enhances electronic transport, facilitates charge‐transfer kinetics, and promotes efficient utilization of the active silicon‐rich phase while maintaining the structural integrity of the SiOC matrix during repeated lithiation/delithiation. As a result, the SiOC‐rGO composite delivers substantially improved electrochemical performance compared with pristine Si‐rich SiOC, exhibiting high reversible specific capacity, excellent rate capability, and remarkable long‐term cycling stability. Notably, the composite retains a capacity of ~600 mAh g ⁻¹ at a high rate of 2 C after 1000 cycles, demonstrating outstanding durability under demanding operating conditions.