Huamin Zhang

Flexible energy storage devices with high energy density and excellent mechanical properties have attracted great interest in the development of flexible electrodes. However, flexible electrodes don't have current collectors, limiting their battery performance. To improve the performance of flexible electrodes, a cobalt-based (Co-based) current collector was designed and fabricated. It is proved that the Co-based current collector is promising due to high conductivity, light weight, continuity and close contact with the electrode. Meanwhile, when the Co-based current collector is applied in lithium–sulfur batteries, it can physically and chemically restrict polysulfides and inhibit the shuttle effect. As a result, Li–S batteries assembled with Co modified electrodes deliver a specific discharge capacity of 899 mA h g⁻¹ at 1C. And a high reversible capacity of 639 mA h g⁻¹ and capacity retention of 56.1% can also be achieved at 0.1C even after continuously running for 200 cycles with a high sulfur loading of 8 mg cm⁻².

Sb-Doped high-voltage LiCoO ₂ was developed with unique properties.

Machine learning combined with DFT calculations was reported to screen suitable solvents to regulate the structure of porous PBI membranes.

Zn ²⁺ concentration will affect the nucleation mode, thereby changing the deposition morphology. Based on morphological evolution, the optimized electrolyte utilization rate is proposed to maintain the high reversibility of Zn in Zn-based flow batteries.

Zinc‐bromine flow batteries (ZBFBs) are regarded as one of the most promising technologies for energy storage owing to high energy density and low cost. However, the sluggish reaction kinetics of Br₂/Br⁻ couples and zinc dendrite issue lead to low power density and poor cycle stability. Herein, a multifunctional carbon felt‐based electrode (NTCF) with N‐rich defects is fabricated for ZBFBs. The defects with abundant N‐containing groups on carbon fibers of NTCF provide high catalytic activity on Br₂/Br⁻ reactions. Simultaneously, the lower energy barrier of N‐rich defects to adsorb zinc atoms, and more deposition sites on NTCF induce more uniform zinc deposition. Thus, a ZBFB using NTCF as both the anode and cathode can stably operate at an unprecedentedly high current density of 180 mA cm⁻² with a coulombic efficiency of 97.25%. Moreover, a long cycle life of over 140 cycles with a coulombic efficiency of 98.93% for a Zn symmetric flow battery at 80 mA cm⁻² is achieved under a high areal capacity of 40 mAh cm⁻². This current density and areal capacity are by far the highest values ever reported for Zn symmetry flow batteries. Therefore, this work provides an available approach to improve the power density and cycle life of ZBFBs.

Manganese-based flow batteries have attracted increasing interest due to their advantages of low cost and high energy density. However, the sediment (MnO₂) from Mn³⁺ disproportionation reaction creates the risk of blocking pipelines, leading to poor stability. Herein, a titanium–manganese single flow battery (TMSFB) with high stability is designed and fabricated for the first time. In the design, a static cathode without the tank and pump is employed to avoid blockage of pipelines by MnO₂ particles. Benefiting from the deceasing disproportionation reaction rate, MnO₂ from the disproportionation reaction is fully utilized, realizing nearly two electron capacity. The novel TMSFB exhibits coulombic efficiency (CE) of over 99.0% at a current density of 40 mA cm⁻². Most importantly, the TMSFB can run stably over 1000 cycles without capacity decay, demonstrating very good stability. With low cost, high efficiency and long cycle life, TMSFBs exhibit remarkable potential for large scale energy storage.

The bismuth salts can not only efficiently destroy the Zn–N_x bond at a relatively low temperature, but also enhance the formation of a conductive and hierarchical porous catalyst.

A pre-sodiation strategy of using Na₄V₂(PO₄)₃ cathode to compensate the irreversible capacity loss of hard carbon anode is demonstrated and improves the energy density of sodium ion batteries.

Performance optimization and cost reduction of a vanadium flow battery (VFB) system is essential for its commercialization and application in large-scale energy storage. However, developing a VFB stack from lab to industrial scale can take years of experiments due to the influence of complex factors, from key materials to the battery architecture. Herein, we have developed an innovative machine learning (ML) methodology to optimize and predict the efficiencies and costs of VFBs with extreme accuracy, based on our database of over 100 stacks with varying power rates. The results indicated that the cost of a VFB system (S-cost) at energy/power (E/P) = 4 h can reach around 223 $ (kW h)⁻¹, when the operating current density reaches 200 mA cm⁻², while the voltage efficiency (VE) and utilization ratio of the electrolyte (UE) are maintained above 90% and 80%, respectively. This work highlights the potential of the ML methodology to guide stack design and optimization of flow batteries to further accelerate their commercialization.

A frigostable aqueous hybrid electrolyte enabled by the solvation interaction of Zn²⁺–EG is proposed for low-temperature zinc-based energy storage devices.