Surface Science in Electrochemical Energy Storage

A special issue of Surfaces (ISSN 2571-9637).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 333

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Clean Energy Chemistry, Key Laboratory for Green Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry of Advanced Materials of Liaoning Province, College of Chemistry, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, China
Interests: controllable synthesis of transition metal oxides; ingenious design of flexible devices; preparation of self-supporting membrane electrodes; preparation of all-solid-state batteries/supercapacitors/aqueous batteries
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Institute of Clean Energy Chemistry, Key Laboratory for Green Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry of Advanced Materials of Liaoning Province, College of Chemistry, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, China
Interests: rechargeable battery; electrode materials; energy storage; supercapacitor; alkaline battery

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Surface science plays a critical role in the development of advanced electrochemical energy storage systems, such as batteries and supercapacitors. The performance, efficiency, and lifespan of these devices are strongly influenced by the properties and behaviors of the electrode surfaces. Surface interactions, such as adsorption, electron transfer, and ion diffusion, are essential in determining the overall performance of energy storage materials. Furthermore, surface modifications and engineering techniques, including coating, doping, and nanostructuring, are employed to enhance charge storage capacity, reduce degradation, and improve cycle life. This Special Issue aims to delve into recent advancements in surface science, focusing on how surface properties influence the electrochemical behavior of materials and the optimization of energy storage devices. By understanding the intricate relationship between surface structure and electrochemical performance, researchers aim to design more efficient and durable energy storage solutions that meet the demands of modern energy systems. This Special Issue aims to cover a wide range of topics, from fundamental surface reactions to cutting-edge materials and technologies, offering a comprehensive overview of the current state of surface science in electrochemical energy storage.

The aim of this Special Issue of Surfaces is to offer a broad open access forum for all groups across the surface science community and gather a collection of cutting-edge original and applied research articles and review papers in the context of “Surface Science in Electrochemical Energy Storage”. Special emphasis will be on, but not limited to, the following topics:

(1) Surface Engineering for High-Performance Electrode Materials
This theme focuses on the impact of surface structure design (e.g., nanostructuring, defect engineering, heterointerface construction) on the electrochemical energy storage performance of electrode materials. It explores surface modification strategies for enhancing the energy density and cycling stability of lithium/sodium-ion batteries and supercapacitors

(2) In Situ/Operando Characterization of Electrochemical Interfaces
This theme discusses the application of advanced surface characterization techniques (e.g., in situ XPS, AFM, TEM, synchrotron radiation) in revealing the dynamic evolution of electrode–electrolyte interfaces, the formation mechanisms of solid–electrolyte interphase (SEI) layers, and the kinetics of surface reactions.

(3) Correlative Surface Phenomena in Multi-Ion Energy Storage Systems
This theme investigates the synergistic mechanisms of surface ion adsorption/desorption, charge transfer, and interfacial side reactions in novel energy storage systems (e.g., potassium/zinc/magnesium-ion batteries, flow batteries). It aims to uncover the influence of surface chemistry on battery failure behaviors.

(4) Two-Dimensional Materials and Heterostructures for Advanced Energy Storage
This theme explores surface functionalization strategies for 2D materials (e.g., MXenes, graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides) and their interfacial effects in flexible energy storage devices. It focuses on surface charge storage mechanisms and breakthroughs in device integration technologies.

(5) Sustainability-Oriented Surface Science in Energy Storage
This theme highlights the application of surface engineering in the recycling of retired battery materials, the development of low-cobalt/cobalt-free cathodes, and the corrosion inhibition of aqueous batteries. It explores the critical role of surface and interface regulation in enhancing the environmental friendliness and cost-effectiveness of energy storage devices.

Dr. Siwen Zhang
Dr. Bosi Yin
Guest Editors

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. Surfaces is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1600 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

  • surface science
  • electrochemical energy storage
  • electrode materials
  • battery performance
  • supercapacitors
  • surface modification
  • material design
  • electrochemical behavior
  • nanostructuring

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 11303 KiB  
Article
Hierarchical Manganese-Doped Nickel–Cobalt Oxide Electrodes with Graphene for Use as High-Energy-Density Supercapacitors
by Kuan-Ching Lee, Guan-Ting Pan, Thomas Chung-Kuang Yang, Po-Cheng Shen, Kuan Lun Pan, Timm Joyce Tiong, Aleksandar N. Nikoloski and Chao-Ming Huang
Surfaces 2025, 8(3), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/surfaces8030043 - 25 Jun 2025
Viewed by 174
Abstract
Thin films of manganese–nickel–cobalt oxide with graphene (G@MNCO) were deposited on copper foam using electrochemical deposition. NiCo2O4 is the main phase in these films. As the proportion of graphene in the precursor solution increases, the oxygen vacancies in the samples [...] Read more.
Thin films of manganese–nickel–cobalt oxide with graphene (G@MNCO) were deposited on copper foam using electrochemical deposition. NiCo2O4 is the main phase in these films. As the proportion of graphene in the precursor solution increases, the oxygen vacancies in the samples also increase. The microstructure of these samples evolves into hierarchical vertical flake structures. Cyclic voltammetry measurements conducted within the potential range of 0–1.2 V reveal that the electrode with the highest graphene content achieves the highest specific capacitance, approximately 475 F/g. Furthermore, it exhibits excellent cycling durability, maintaining 95.0% of its initial capacitance after 10,000 cycles. The superior electrochemical performance of the graphene-enhanced, manganese-doped nickel–cobalt oxide electrode is attributed to the synergistic contributions of the hierarchical G@MNCO structure, the three-dimensional Cu foam current collector, and the binder-free fabrication process. These features promote quicker electrolyte ion diffusion into the electrode material and ensure robust adhesion of the active materials to the current collector. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Surface Science in Electrochemical Energy Storage)
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