Advanced Nanocomposites for Batteries and Supercapacitors

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanocomposite Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 July 2024) | Viewed by 7425

Special Issue Editors

State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
Interests: batteries; supercapacitors; in situ; electrochemistry
College of Materials and Advanced Manufacturing, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou 412007, China
Interests: Zn-ion batteries; supercapacitors; electrochemistry; energy materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Electrochemical energy storage and conversion devices play a transformative role in modern society. They have been widely applied in portable electronic devices, electric transportation, and smart power grids, which advance energy efficiency and sustainability. Batteries and supercapacitors, including alkaline metal-ion batteries, Zn-ion batteries, solid-state batteries, and supercapacitors, are state-of-the-art devices for electrochemical energy storage and conversion. Determined by the structure-function relationship, it is of great significance to improve the electrochemical performances of devices by regulating the nanostructures and optimizing the properties of electrode materials.

This Special Issue of Nanomaterials aims to cover the most recent advances in batteries and supercapacitors, concerning their synthetic methodology, structure design, mechanism characterization, theoretical modeling, and device fabrication. In the present Special Issue, we are inviting contributions from leading groups in the field to show the latest progress and emerging sciences of batteries and supercapacitors. Original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: lithium-ion batteries; sodium-ion batteries; potassium-ion batteries; zinc-ion batteries; magnesium-ion batteries; lithium metal batteries; solid-state batteries; supercapacitors.

Dr. Zhibin Wu
Dr. Yirong Zhu
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • batteries
  • supercapacitors
  • anode
  • cathode
  • electrolyte
  • electrochemistry
  • electrode materials
  • nanostructures
  • nanomaterials
  • mechanisms
  • energy storage

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 3979 KiB  
Article
Influence of Polypyrrole on Phosphorus- and TiO2-Based Anode Nanomaterials for Li-Ion Batteries
by Chiwon Kang, Kibum Song, Seungho Ha, Yujin Sung, Yejin Kim, Keun-Young Shin and Byung Hyo Kim
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(13), 1138; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14131138 - 2 Jul 2024
Viewed by 846
Abstract
Phosphorus (P) and TiO2 have been extensively studied as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their high specific capacities. However, P is limited by low electrical conductivity and significant volume changes during charge and discharge cycles, while TiO2 is [...] Read more.
Phosphorus (P) and TiO2 have been extensively studied as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their high specific capacities. However, P is limited by low electrical conductivity and significant volume changes during charge and discharge cycles, while TiO2 is hindered by low electrical conductivity and slow Li-ion diffusion. To address these issues, we synthesized organic–inorganic hybrid anode materials of P–polypyrrole (PPy) and TiO2–PPy, through in situ polymerization of pyrrole monomer in the presence of the nanoscale inorganic materials. These hybrid anode materials showed higher cycling stability and capacity compared to pure P and TiO2. The enhancements are attributed to the electrical conductivity and flexibility of PPy polymers, which improve the conductivity of the anode materials and effectively buffer volume changes to sustain structural integrity during the charge and discharge processes. Additionally, PPy can undergo polymerization to form multi-component composites for anode materials. In this study, we successfully synthesized a ternary composite anode material, P–TiO2–PPy, achieving a capacity of up to 1763 mAh/g over 1000 cycles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Nanocomposites for Batteries and Supercapacitors)
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12 pages, 3843 KiB  
Article
FeF3/(Acetylene Black and Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube) Composite for Cathode Active Material of Thermal Battery through Formation of Conductive Network Channels
by Su Hyeong Kim, Ji-Hyeok Choi, So Hyun Park, Tae Young Ahn, Hae-Won Cheong and Young Soo Yoon
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(20), 2783; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13202783 - 17 Oct 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1654
Abstract
Considerable research is being conducted on the use of FeF3 as a cathode replacement for FeS2 in thermal batteries. However, FeF3 alone is inefficient as a cathode active material because of its low electrical conductivity due to its wide bandgap [...] Read more.
Considerable research is being conducted on the use of FeF3 as a cathode replacement for FeS2 in thermal batteries. However, FeF3 alone is inefficient as a cathode active material because of its low electrical conductivity due to its wide bandgap (5.96 eV). Herein, acetylene black and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were combined with FeF3, and the ratio was optimized. When acetylene black and MWCNTs were added separately to FeF3, the electrical conductivity increased, but the mechanical strength decreased. When acetylene black and MWCNTs were both added to FeF3, the FeF3/M1AB4 sample (with 1 wt.% MWCNTs and 4% AB) afforded a discharge capacity of approximately 74% of the theoretical capacity (712 mAh/g) of FeF3. Considering the electrical conductivity and mechanical strength, this composition was confirmed to be the most suitable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Nanocomposites for Batteries and Supercapacitors)
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14 pages, 13403 KiB  
Article
A Facile Microwave Hydrothermal Synthesis of ZnFe2O4/rGO Nanocomposites for Supercapacitor Electrodes
by Xiaoyao Mo, Guangxu Xu, Xiaochan Kang, Hang Yin, Xiaochen Cui, Yuling Zhao, Jianmin Zhang, Jie Tang and Fengyun Wang
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(6), 1034; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13061034 - 13 Mar 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2089
Abstract
As a typical binary transition metal oxide, ZnFe2O4 has attracted considerable attention for supercapacitor electrodes due to its high theoretical specific capacitance. However, the reported synthesis processes of ZnFe2O4 are complicated and ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles [...] Read more.
As a typical binary transition metal oxide, ZnFe2O4 has attracted considerable attention for supercapacitor electrodes due to its high theoretical specific capacitance. However, the reported synthesis processes of ZnFe2O4 are complicated and ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles are easily agglomerated, leading to poor cycle life and unfavorable capacity. Herein, a facile microwave hydrothermal process was used to prepare ZnFe2O4/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanocomposites in this work. The influence of rGO content on the morphology, structure, and electrochemical performance of ZnFe2O4/rGO nanocomposites was systematically investigated. Due to the uniform distribution of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles on the rGO surface and the high specific surface area and rich pore structures, the as-prepared ZnFe2O4/rGO electrode with 44.3 wt.% rGO content exhibits a high specific capacitance of 628 F g−1 and long cycle life of 89% retention over 2500 cycles at 1 A g−1. This work provides a new process for synthesizing binary transition metal oxide and developing a new strategy for realizing high-performance composites for supercapacitor electrodes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Nanocomposites for Batteries and Supercapacitors)
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15 pages, 2828 KiB  
Article
Polyindole Embedded Nickel/Zinc Oxide Nanocomposites for High-Performance Energy Storage Applications
by Huriya Humayun, Bushra Begum, Salma Bilal, Anwar ul Haq Ali Shah and Philipp Röse
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(3), 618; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13030618 - 3 Feb 2023
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2235
Abstract
Conducting polymers integrated with metal oxides create opportunities for hybrid capacitive electrodes. In this work, we report a one-pot oxidative polymerization for the synthesis of integrated conductive polyindole/nickel oxide (PIn/NiO), polyindole/zinc oxide (PIn/ZnO), and polyindole/nickel oxide/zinc oxide (PNZ). The polymers were analyzed thoroughly [...] Read more.
Conducting polymers integrated with metal oxides create opportunities for hybrid capacitive electrodes. In this work, we report a one-pot oxidative polymerization for the synthesis of integrated conductive polyindole/nickel oxide (PIn/NiO), polyindole/zinc oxide (PIn/ZnO), and polyindole/nickel oxide/zinc oxide (PNZ). The polymers were analyzed thoroughly for their composition and physical as well as chemical properties by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The PIn and its composites were processed into electrodes, and their use in symmetrical supercapacitors in two- and three-electrode setups was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The best electrochemical charge storage capability was found for the ternary PNZ composite. The high performance directly correlates with its uniformly shaped nanofibrous structure and high crystallinity. For instance, the symmetrical supercapacitor fabricated with PNZ hybrid electrodes shows a high specific capacitance of 310.9 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 with an energy density of 42.1 Wh kg−1, a power density of 13.2 kW kg−1, and a good cycling stability of 78.5% after 5000 cycles. This report presents new electrode materials for advanced supercapacitor technology based on these results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Nanocomposites for Batteries and Supercapacitors)
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