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A Perspective on Novel Electrochemical Capacitors and Batteries

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Electrochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2024) | Viewed by 5550

Special Issue Editors

School of Science, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
Interests: key materials and technologies for new energy; fuel cell; key materials and technologies for next-generation batteries; lithium-ion power and energy storage batteries; sodium ion power and energy storage batteries

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Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Chemical Materials and Devices, Ministry of Education, School of Optoelectronic Materials & Technology, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
Interests: lithium/sodium-ion batteries; all-solid-state batteries; atomic layer deposition

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Guest Editor Assistant
Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Interests: sodium ion batteries; fuel cell; water splitting; photocatalysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Electric energy has brought tremendous progress to human life and the world's economy in modern society. In particular, many emerging instruments of great significance to humans, such as some intelligent robots, electric vehicles, portable electronic devices, etc., require electric energy to provide power. Traditional electric energy is converted from the consumption of fossil fuels. To cope with the issue of the exhaustion of fossil fuels and environmental pollution, it is a trend to utilize renewable energy sources such as the power of solar, water and wind to produce electricity for the operation of society. Even the transportation field, which has long relied on fossil fuels, is currently more inclined to use electric energy as a power source. However, most renewable energy sources are intermittent and need to be equipped with advanced energy storage and conversion systems, such as rechargeable electrochemical capacitors and batteries, to enable a continuous and stable power output. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop advanced electrochemical capacitors and batteries to promote the transformation of the energy structure and realize the goal of carbon neutrality.

Chemical research plays a crucial role in advancing electrochemical capacitors and batteries. It focuses on understanding and improving the chemical processes that occur within these energy storage devices, with the goal of enhancing their performance, safety, and environmental sustainability. This year, the journal Molecules will publish a Special Issue of papers featuring selected contributions on novel electrochemical capacitors and batteries. As Guest Editors of this Special Issue, we are writing to invite you to contribute a research paper, rapid communication, perspective or review article on your latest research activities in, but not limited to, the following aspects:

  1. Developing and optimizing electrode materials;
  2. Investigate various types of electrolytes, including liquid, solid, and gel-based electrolytes;
  3. Designing materials and structures that facilitate rapid ion diffusion;
  4. Investigating the electrochemical reactions that occur during charging and discharging cycles is essential for optimizing energy storage devices;
  5. Explores the use of catalysts to improve the performance of batteries and capacitors;
  6. Diagnostics and characterization;
  7. Investigating flame-retardant additives and electrolyte formulations that reduce the risk of thermal events;
  8. Environmentally friendly materials and recycling methods for spent batteries;
  9. Novel batteries such as sodium-ion, potassium-ion, and magnesium-ion batteries.

Dr. Pei Hu
Dr. Yuyu Li
Guest Editors

Dr. Peng Yu
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • electrode material
  • battery electrochemistry
  • primary battery and secondary battery
  • fuel cell
  • supercapacitor
  • solid-state battery

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 9166 KiB  
Article
Development of Fluorine-Free Electrolytes for Aqueous-Processed Olivine-Type Phosphate Cathodes
by Claudia Limachi, Klaudia Rogala, Marek Broszkiewicz, Marta Cabello, Leszek Niedzicki, Michel Armand and Władysław Wieczorek
Molecules 2024, 29(19), 4698; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29194698 - 4 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1675
Abstract
Environmental impacts and resource availability are significant concerns for the future of lithium-ion batteries. This study focuses on developing novel fluorine-free electrolytes compatible with aqueous-processed cobalt-free cathode materials. The new electrolyte contains lithium 1,1,2,3,3-pentacyanopropenide (LiPCP) salt. After screening various organic carbonates, a mixture [...] Read more.
Environmental impacts and resource availability are significant concerns for the future of lithium-ion batteries. This study focuses on developing novel fluorine-free electrolytes compatible with aqueous-processed cobalt-free cathode materials. The new electrolyte contains lithium 1,1,2,3,3-pentacyanopropenide (LiPCP) salt. After screening various organic carbonates, a mixture of 30:70 wt.% ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate was chosen as the solvent. The optimal salt concentration, yielding the highest conductivity of 9.6 mS·cm−1 at 20 °C, was 0.8 mol·kg−1. Vinylene carbonate was selected as a SEI-stabilizing additive, and the electrolyte demonstrated stability up to 4.4 V vs. Li+/Li. LiFePO4 and LiMn0.6Fe0.4PO4 were identified as suitable cobalt-free cathode materials. They were processed using sodium carboxymethyl cellulose as a binder and water as the solvent. Performance testing of various cathode compositions was conducted using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic cycling with the LiPCP-based electrolyte and a standard LiPF6-based one. The optimized cathode compositions, with an 87:10:3 ratio of active material to conductive additive to binder, showed good compatibility and performance with the new electrolyte. Aqueous-processed LiFePO4 and LiMn0.6Fe0.4PO4 achieved capacities of 160 mAh·g−1 and 70 mAh·g−1 at C/10 after 40 cycles, respectively. These findings represent the first stage of investigating LiPCP for the development of greener and more sustainable lithium-ion batteries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Perspective on Novel Electrochemical Capacitors and Batteries)
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15 pages, 7284 KiB  
Article
FFF/FDM 3D-Printed Solid Polymer Electrolytes Based on Acrylonitrile Copolymers for Lithium-Ion Batteries
by Arkadiusz Czerwiński, Magdalena Słojewska, Justyna Jurczak, Maciej Dębowski and Ewa Zygadło-Monikowska
Molecules 2024, 29(19), 4526; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29194526 - 24 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1538
Abstract
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are essential in modern electronics, particularly in portable devices and electric vehicles. However, the limited design flexibility of current battery shapes constrains the development of custom-sized power sources for advanced applications like wearable electronics and medical devices. Additive manufacturing (AM), [...] Read more.
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are essential in modern electronics, particularly in portable devices and electric vehicles. However, the limited design flexibility of current battery shapes constrains the development of custom-sized power sources for advanced applications like wearable electronics and medical devices. Additive manufacturing (AM), specifically Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), presents a promising solution by enabling the creation of batteries with customized shapes. This study explores the use of novel poly(acrylonitrile-co-polyethylene glycol methyl ether acrylate) (poly(AN-co-PEGMEA)) copolymers as solid polymer electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries, optimized for 3D printing using FFF. The copolymers were synthesized with varying AN:PEGMEA ratios, and their physical, thermal, and electrochemical properties were systematically characterized. The study found that a poly(AN-co-PEGMEA) 6:1 copolymer ratio offers an optimal balance between printability and ionic conductivity. The successful extrusion of filaments and subsequent 3D printing of complex shapes demonstrate the potential of these materials for next-generation battery designs. The addition of succinonitrile (SCN) as a plasticizer significantly improved ionic conductivity and lithium cation transference numbers, making these copolymers viable for practical applications. This work highlights the potential of combining polymer chemistry with additive manufacturing to provide new opportunities in lithium-ion battery design and function. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Perspective on Novel Electrochemical Capacitors and Batteries)
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12 pages, 2042 KiB  
Article
Covalent Bonding of MXene/COF Heterojunction for Ultralong Cycling Li-Ion Battery Electrodes
by Yongbiao Liu, Yang Song, Quanbing Lu, Linsen Zhang, Lulu Du, Shiying Yu and Yongshang Zhang
Molecules 2024, 29(12), 2899; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29122899 - 18 Jun 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1785
Abstract
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have emerged as promising renewable electrode materials for LIBs and gained significant attention, but their capacity has been limited by the densely packed 2D layer structures, low active site availability, and poor electronic conductivity. Combining COFs with high-conductivity MXenes [...] Read more.
Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have emerged as promising renewable electrode materials for LIBs and gained significant attention, but their capacity has been limited by the densely packed 2D layer structures, low active site availability, and poor electronic conductivity. Combining COFs with high-conductivity MXenes is an effective strategy to enhance their electrochemical performance. Nevertheless, simply gluing them without conformal growth and covalent linkage restricts the number of redox-active sites and the structural stability of the composite. Therefore, in this study, a covalently assembled 3D COF on Ti3C2 MXenes (Ti3C2@COF) is synthesized and serves as an ultralong cycling electrode material for LIBs. Due to the covalent bonding between the COF and Ti3C2, the Ti3C2@COF composite exhibits excellent stability, good conductivity, and a unique 3D cavity structure that enables stable Li+ storage and rapid ion transport. As a result, the Ti3C2-supported 3D COF nanosheets deliver a high specific capacity of 490 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1, along with an ultralong cyclability of 10,000 cycles at 1 A g−1. This work may inspire a wide range of 3D COF designs for high-performance electrode materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Perspective on Novel Electrochemical Capacitors and Batteries)
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