State Key Laboratory of Materials Processing and Die & Mould Technology

The development of advanced energy storage devices is at the forefront of research geared towards a sustainable future. Nanostructured materials are advantageous in offering huge surface to volume ratios, favorable transport features, and attractive physicochemical properties. They have been extensively explored in various fields of energy storage and conversion. This review is focused largely on the recent progress in nanostructured Mo-based electrode materials including molybdenum oxides (MoO(x), 2 ≤ x ≤ 3), dichalconides (MoX2, X = S, Se), and oxysalts for rechargeable lithium/sodium-ion batteries, Mg batteries, and supercapacitors. Mo-based compounds including MoO2, MoO3, MoO(3-y) (0 < y < 1), MMo(x)O(y) (M = Fe, Co, Ni, Ca, Mn, Zn, Mg, or Cd; x = 1, y = 4; x = 3, y = 8), MoS2, MoSe2, (MoO2)2P2O7, LiMoO2, Li2MoO3, etc. possess multiple valence states and exhibit rich chemistry. They are very attractive candidates for efficient electrochemical energy storage systems because of their unique physicochemical properties, such as conductivity, mechanical and thermal stability, and cyclability. In this review, we aim to provide a systematic summary of the synthesis, modification, and electrochemical performance of nanostructured Mo-based compounds, as well as their energy storage applications in lithium/sodium-ion batteries, Mg batteries, and pseudocapacitors. The relationship between nanoarchitectures and electrochemical performances as well as the related charge-storage mechanism is discussed. Moreover, remarks on the challenges and perspectives of Mo-containing compounds for further development in electrochemical energy storage applications are proposed. This review sheds light on the sustainable development of advanced rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors with nanostructured Mo-based electrode materials.

Sulfur-doped disordered carbon exhibits high capacity and excellent cyclability as an anode for sodium ion batteries.

Relaxor ferroelectrics are promising candidates for pulsed power dielectric capacitor applications because of their excellent energy-storage properties.

This review summarizes the strategies to reduce the thickness of solid-state electrolytes for the fabrication of high energy-density solid-state batteries.

In this critical review, we mainly focus on the current developments of gas sensors based on typical 2D layered nanomaterials, including graphene, MoS₂, MoSe₂, WS₂, SnS₂, VS₂, black phosphorus (BP), h-BN, and g-C₃N₄.

Typical lead-free energy storage systems and their performances for dielectric and multilayer capacitors over the last decade.

Two-dimensional (2D) layered metal chalcogenides (MXs) have significant potential for use in flexible transistors, optoelectronics, sensing and memory devices beyond the state-of-the-art technology. To pursue ultimate performance, precisely controlled doping engineering of 2D MXs is desired for tailoring their physical and chemical properties in functional devices. In this review, we highlight the recent progress in the doping engineering of 2D MXs, covering that enabled by substitution, exterior charge transfer, intercalation and the electrostatic doping mechanism. A variety of novel doping engineering examples leading to Janus structures, defect curing effects, zero-valent intercalation and deliberately devised floating gate modulation will be discussed together with their intriguing application prospects. The choice of doping strategies and sources for functionalizing MXs will be provided to facilitate ongoing research in this field toward multifunctional applications.

A high performance, binder-free flexible silicon electrode with high Si content up to 92% is developed for lithium ion batteries with a novel cellulose-based topological microscroll structure.

A wood–polypyrrole composite as a photothermal conversion device for efficient seawater desalination and water purification.

The well-designed flame-retardant polymer electrolyte greatly improves the safety and cycle life of high energy density lithium metal batteries.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted much attention due to their unique properties and great potential in various applications. Controllable synthesis of 2D materials with high quality and high efficiency is essential for their large scale applications. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has been one of the most important and reliable techniques for the synthesis of 2D materials. In this perspective, the recent advances in the CVD growth of three typical types of two-dimensional materials, graphene, boron nitride and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), are briefly introduced. Large area preparation, single crystal growth and some mechanistic insight are discussed with details. Finally we give a brief comment on the challenges of CVD growth of 2D materials.

Crystal organometal halide perovskites with specific morphologies and unique optoelectronic properties have extended their applications into the whole optoelectronic field.

The recent progress of Sb-based materials, including mechanisms, synthesis, design strategies and electrochemical performance for LIBs and SIBs, is reviewed.

The crystal structure transforms from orthorhombic to tetragonal at 88 °C and then to cubic at 130 °C.

Significantly enhanced energy density is obtained at a low electric field by embedding aligned BaTiO₃ nanowires in a polymer matrix <italic>via</italic> a new physical-assisted casting method.

Layer structured GeP₅ is firstly developed as an anode material for LIB, it delivers a reversible capacity of 2300 mA h g⁻¹ with a very high initial coulombic efficiency of 95%.

Rechargeable aluminum batteries (RABs) are amongst the most promising post-lithium energy storage systems (ESS) with a substantially higher specific volumetric capacity (8046 mA h cm⁻³), higher safety and lower cost.

High valence Mo-doped Na_3−5xV_2−xMo_x(PO₄)₃/C (0 &lt; <italic>x</italic> &lt; 0.04) has been investigated to promote Na ion diffusion.

Nonmagnetic hexavalent molybdenum atomically dispersed within oxide lattice steers the intrinsic oxygen reduction activity of catalytically active sites, and excludes the occurrence of lattice symmetry breaking and magnetic perturbation.

Research on 2D materials has recently become one of the hottest topics that has attracted broad interdisciplinary attention. 2D materials offer fascinating platforms for fundamental science and technological explorations at the nanometer scale and molecular level, and exhibit diverse potential applications for future advanced nano-photonics and electronics. The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) technique has shown great promise for producing high-quality 2D materials with superior electro-optical performance. However, it is difficult to synthesize continuous single-crystal 2D materials with large domain sizes and good uniformity due to the low vapor pressure of their precursors. It has been observed that the addition of selected synergistic additives to the CVD process under mild conditions can result in uniformly large-area and highly crystalline monolayer 2D materials with exceptional optical/electrical properties. Moreover, the 2D material-based devices chemically modified by synergistic additives can achieve superior performances compared to those previously reported. In this review, we compare several typical synergistic additive-mediated CVD growth processes of 2D materials, as well as their superior properties, and provide some perspectives and challenges for the future of this emerging research field.