We summarize the progress in organic–inorganic hybrid and all-inorganic wide- Eg perovskite solar cells. Key challenges and effective strategies are discussed, followed by applications in tandems. We outline perspectives to design superior devices.
20 August 2021 in Energy & Environmental Materials
Aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (AZIBs) are an appealing battery system due to their low cost, intrinsic safety, and environmental‐friendliness, while their application is plagued by the obstacles from the cathode, electrolyte, and zinc anode. Summarizing the design principles and strategies toward the optimization of cathode, electrolyte, and zinc anode is crucial for the development of AZIBs. Herein, we present a comprehensive analysis of the design principles and promising strategies toward the improvement of AZIBs. Firstly, the various reaction mechanisms are summarized and the existing issues associated with the cathode, electrolyte, and zinc anode are discussed to guide the rational design of AZIBs. Subsequently, we provide an in‐depth and comprehensive discussion on the design principles and strategies for the electrodes/electrolyte/separator optimization, and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of various strategies. Importantly, the design principles and strategies of the newly appeared conversion‐type AZIBs, such as Zn‐S battery and Zn‐Se battery, are also discussed and analyzed. The effect of design strategies on the electrochemical performance and the relationship between the current issues and strategies are also unveiled in detail. Finally, some research trends and perspectives are provided for designing better AZIBs.
NGQDs-WS 2 /3DCF three-dimensional nanoarchitecture was designed and synthesized as a high-performance flexible and free-standing anode electrode for cable-shaped sodium-ion batteries.
Hybrid nanostructures composed of vertical graphene nanosheet (VGNS) and MoS2 nano-leaves are synthesized by the chemical vapor deposition method followed by a solvothermal process. The unique three-dimensional nanostructures of MoS2/VGNS arranged in a vertically aligned manner can be easily constructed on various substrates, including Ni foam and graphite paper. Compared with MoS2/carbon black, MoS2/VGNS nanocomposites grown on Ni foam exhibit enhanced electrochemical performance as the anode material of lithium-ion batteries, delivering a specific capacity of 1277 mAh g−1 at a current density of 100 mA g−1 and a high first-cycle coulombic efficiency of 76.6%. Moreover, the MoS2/VGNS nanostructures also retain a capacity of 1109 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 200 mA g−1, suggesting excellent cycling stability. In addition, when the MoS2/VGNS nanocomposites grown on graphite paper are applied in the hydrogen evolution reaction, a small Tafel slope of 41.3 mV dec−1 and a large double-layer capacitance of 7.96 mF cm−2 are obtained, which are among the best values achievable by MoS2-based hybrid structures. These results demonstrate the potential applications of MoS2/VGNS hybrid materials for energy conversion and storage and may open up a new avenue for the development of vertically aligned, multifunctional nanoarchitectures.
A novel method for fabricating all-solid flexible microsupercapacitors (MSCs) was proposed and developed by utilizing screen printing technology. A typical printed MSC is composed of a printed Ag electrode, MnO2/onion-like carbon (MnO2/OLC) as active material and a polyvinyl alcohol:H3PO4 (PVA:H3PO4) as solid electrolyte. A capacity of 7.04 mF cm(-2) was achieved for the screen printed MnO2/OLC MSCs at a current density of 20 μA cm(-2). It also showed an excellent cycling stability, with 80% retention of the specific capacity after 1000 cycles. The printed all-solid flexible MSCs exhibited remarkably high mechanical flexibility when the devices were bent to a radius of 3.5 mm. In addition, all-solid MSCs were successfully demonstrated by screen printing technique on various substrates, such as silicon, glass and conventional printing paper. Moreover, the screen printing technique can be extended to other active materials, such as OLC and carbon nanotubes. This method provides a general route for printable all-solid flexible MSCs, which is compatible with the roll-to-roll process for various high performance active materials.