The pursuit of high-energy solid-state lithium metal batteries (ssLMBs) is challenging, due to the sluggish ion transport in solid electrolytes and unstable electrode-electrolyte interfaces. Herein, we showcase regulating Li+ solid-state coordination as a feasible strategy. By constructing Li+ coordination with poly-1,3-dioxolane chains and anions, an in situ polymerized solid electrolyte (PDTE) is obtained with an ionic conductivity of 1.45 mS cm-1, Li+ transference number of 0.67, and high interfacial compatibility. As the bifunctional promoter, it alleviates Li+ hopping barriers via the ligand-field effects and establishes the conformal solid/cathode-electrolyte interfaces. Its derived Li|PDTE|LiFePO4 ssLMBs maintains cycling for over 1000 cycles at 2 C with 92.5% retention in capacity, and at the fast-charging rate up to 20 C. When coupled with a LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathode, PDTE further showcases promises in stable operation under a wide voltage window from 2.8 to 4.5 V and a low-temperature range down to -20 °C. Toward practical promises, 5.7 Ah solid-state pouch cells are further assembled with an energy density of 513 Wh kg-1 and the elevated safety for thermal runaway.

The "shuttle effect" and the unchecked growth of lithium dendrites during operation in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries seriously impact their practical applications. Besides, the performances of Li-S batteries at high current densities and sulfur loadings hold the key to bridge the gap between laboratory research and practical applications. To address the above issues and facilitate the practical utilization of Li-S batteries, the commercial separator is modified with solid electrolyte (nanorod LiAlO2, LAO) and conductive carbon (Super P) to obtain a double coated separator (SPLAOMS). The SPLAOMS can physically barrier polysulfides and accelerate reaction kinetics. In addition, it enhances uniform lithium deposition, boosts ionic conductivity, and increases the utilization of active sulfur substances. The prepared Li-S batteries exhibit excellent cycling stability under harsh conditions (high sulfur loadings and high current densities) with an initial capacity of 733 mAh g-1 and a capacity attenuation of 0.03% per cycle at 5C in 500 cycle life. Under ultra-high sulfur loading (8.2 mg cm-2), the prepared battery maintains a satisfactory capacity of 800 mAh g-1 during cycling, demonstrating enormous commercial application potential. This study serves as a pivotal reference for the commercialization of high-performance Li-S batteries.

The practical application of lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) cathodes at high voltages is hindered by the instability of the surface structure and side reactions with the electrolyte. Herein, we prepared a multifunctional hierarchical core@double-shell structured LiCoO2 (MS-LCO) cathode material using a scalable sol-gel method. The MS-LCO cathode material comprised an outer shell with fast lithium-ion conductivity, a La/Zr co-doped inner shell, and a bulk LiCoO2 core. The outermost shell prevented direct contact between the electrolyte and LiCoO2 core, which alleviated the electrolyte decomposition and loss of active cobalt, while the La/Zr co-doped shell improved the structural stability at higher voltages in a half-cell with a liquid electrolyte. The MS-LCO cathode exhibited a stable capacity of 163.1 mAh g-1 after 500 cycles at 0.5 C, and a high specific capacity of 166.8 mAh g-1 at 2 C. In addition, a solid lithium battery with the surface-passivated MS-LCO cathode and a polyethylene oxide (PEO)-based inorganic/organic composite electrolyte retained 85.8% of its initial discharge capacity after 150 cycles at a charging cutoff voltage of 4.3 V. Thus, the introduction of a surface-passivating shell can effectively suppress the decomposition of PEO caused by highly reactive oxygen species in LiCoO2 at high voltages.

Li+ transfer efficacy enhancement of PEO-based electrolyte, determined via constructing fast Li+ transfer channel and weakened interaction between Li+ and PEO, leading to significant improvement of electrochemical performance of Li-metal batteries.

We report a dendrite-free Li metal anode obtained by the synergistic effect of AgPF6–LiNO3 hybrid additives in the electrolyte. The constructed symmetric cell battery shows excellent cycling lifetime for >3000 h with only slight polarization.

By adding a bifunctional plasticizer (SN) and an inorganic conductor (LAGP) to a PEO matrix, an inorganic–organic composite solid-state polymer electrolyte (SPE) was constructed to enhance Li-ion diffusion and interface stability.

Lithium (Li) metal is a favorable anode for most energy storage equipment, thanks to its higher theoretical specific capacity. However, nonuniform Li nucleation/growth results in large-sized and irregular dendrites generated from the Li anode, which causes rapid capacity fade and serious safety hazard, hindering its widespread practical applications. In this paper, with the aid of a lithium nitrate (LiNO3) additive in a carbonate-based electrolyte, the Li anode shows low hysteresis for in excess of 1000 h at a current density of 0.5 mA cm-2. At the same time, a Li-graphite dual-ion battery exhibits an outstanding cycling stability at 5C; after 1000 cycles, 81% of the capacity is retained. After calculation, the Li-graphite dual-ion battery shows a competitive specific energy density of 243 Wh kg-1 at a power density of 234 W kg-1. Moreover, the linear sweep voltammetry test was first performed to analyze the Li nucleation/growth mechanism and explain the effect of the LiNO3 additive. The superior electrochemical properties of the Li-graphite dual-ion battery are ascribed to the formation of smooth Li composed of Li nanoparticles and a steady solid electrolyte interface film.

A N-doped TiO2–bronze/N-doped graphene nanocomposite was prepared by hydrothermal method and exhibited outstanding cycling performance.

Cellulose has been explored as a tentative renewable carbon source to convert into micro- and meso-porous carbon (MMC) via carbonizing cellulose aerogel at a temperature of 700°C without further activation. The obtained MMC materials based on cellulose possess a specific surface area of 646m2g−1, a pore volume of 0.4403m3g−1, with an optimal pore structure that consists of the micropores in average size of 1.49nm and the mesopores in the range of 2.25∼3.32nm. A two-electrode symmetric supercapacitor based on the MMC materials exhibits a comparable high electrochemical performance with a large capacitance (up to 160Fg−1 at 0.2Ag−1), an high energy density of 17.81 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 180.11W kg−1 in the voltage range of 0V to 1.8V. The mesoporous can provide a good channel to further facilitate the electrolyte ion penetrating inner pores, while the microporous can store more electrolyte ions. The above cooperative effect of MMC is the key to the high-performance of the supercapacitors.

Correction for ‘Few-layer TiO2–B nanosheets with N-doped graphene nanosheets as a highly robust anode for lithium-ion batteries’ by Zhisong Han et al., RSC Adv., 2017, 7, 7864–7869.

A novel 2D H-Fe3O4@C/GNS electrode exhibits excellent cycling stability and super high rate performance.

Few-layer reduced graphene oxide-wrapped mesoporous anatase TiO2 submicrosphere (denoted as m-TiO2@FL-RGO) composite prepared by glucose-assisted hydrothermal method exhibits high specific capacity and excellent cycling stability.

Mesoporous TiO2@C@MnO2 multi-shelled hollow nanospheres (denoted as TiO2@C@MnO2 multi-shelled HNSs) prepared by a layer-by-layer deposition growth process exhibit high rate capability and stability.

Hollow Fe3O4 (H-Fe3O4) microspheres were fabricated through a facile one-step solvothermal synthesis, which was performed in an ethylene glycol (EG)-diethylene glycol (DEG) mixed solvent using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as the stabilizer. The addition of DEG increased the viscosity of the system, which caused the Fe3O4 primary crystal to aggregate slower and the morphological yield to approach nearly 100%. The as-prepared hollow Fe3O4 microspheres show promise for application in lithium ion battery anodes and showed a reversible specific capacity of 453.3 mAh g(-1) after 50 cycles at 100 mA g(-1). (C) 2016 Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A three-dimensional few-layer reduced graphene oxide-wrapped mesoporous Li4Ti5O12 (m-LTO@FL-RGO) electrode is produced using a simple solution fabrication process. When tested as an anode for Li ion batteries, the m-LTO@FL-RGO composite exhibits excellent rate capability and superior cycle life. The capacity of m-LTO@FL-RGO reaches 165.4 mA h g(-1) after 100 cycles between 1 and 2.5 Vat a rate of 1 C. Even at a rate of 30 C, a high discharge capacity of 115.1 mA h g(-1) is still obtained, which is three times higher than the pristine mesoporous Li4Ti5O12 (m-LTO). The graphene nanosheets are incorporated into the m-LTO microspheres homogenously, which provide a high conductive network for electron transportation. (C) 2016 Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nanostructured electrode materials have been extensively studied with the aim of enhancing lithium ion and electron transport and lowering the stress caused by their volume changes during the charge–discharge processes of electrodes in lithium-ion batteries.