Lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs) are regarded as promising candidates for the next‐generation energy storage devices owing to their high‐theoretical capacity (1675 mAh g−1) and affordable cost. However, several limitations of LSBs such as the lithium polysulfide shuttle, large volume expansion, and low electrical conductivity of sulfur need to be resolved for practical applications. To address these limitations, herein, a multidimensional architectured hybrid (Co@CNT/nG), where Co3O4 nanoparticles are encapsulated into three‐dimensional (3D) porous N‐doped reduced graphene oxide interconnected with carbon nanotube (CNT) branches, is synthesized through a simple pyrolysis method. The synergistic effect achieved through the homogeneously distributed and encapsulated Co3O4 nanoparticles, the interconnected CNT branches, and the 3D hierarchical porous structure and N‐doping of Co@CNT/nG significantly suppresses the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides and enhances the conversion redox kinetics for the improved sulfur utilization. We validate this effect through various measurements including symmetric cells, Li2S nucleation, shuttle currents, Tafel slopes, diffusion coefficients, and post‐mortem analyses. Importantly, Co@CNT/nG‐70S‐based LSB cells achieve a high‐specific capacity of 1193.1 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C and a low capacity decay rate of 0.030% per cycle for 700 cycles at 5 C, delivering a high areal capacity of 5.62 mAh cm−2 even with a loading of 6.5 mg cm−2.

We study the Hubbard-Holstein model, which includes both the electron-electron and electronphonon interactions characterized by U and g, respectively, employing the dynamical mean-field theory combined with Wilson's numerical renormalization group technique. A zero temperature phase diagram of metal-insulator and insulator-insulator transitions at half-filling is mapped out which exhibits the interplay between U and g. As U (g) is increased, a metal to Mott-Hubbard insulator (bipolaron insulator) transition occurs, and the two insulating states are distinct and can not be adiabatically connected. The nature of and transitions between the three states are discussed.

Despite high energy density, low-cost, and ecofriendly, rechargeable Zinc-air batteries (ZABs) suffer from sluggish kinetics stability during oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the cathode. Herein, we demonstrate CoO nanoparticles anchored on N-doped reduced graphene oxide (CoO/N-rGO) with an excellent bifunctional catalytic activity and stability and facile redox kinetics of ORR and OER for high-performance rechargeable ZABs. The CoO/N-rGO catalysts are featured with the abundant active sites, a large accessible area, and high electrochemical conductivity, which are associated with increased oxygen vacancy surface, reduced valence, and mesoporous architecture. The half-wave potential (E 1/2) and electron transfer number for ORR are 0.79 V and 3.72 at 0.40 V (vs RHE), respectively, while OER potential at 10 mA cm −2 (E j = 10) is 1.61 V (vs RHE). Remarkably, the ZAB cell with CoO/N-rGO achieves high specific capacity of 545 mAh g zn −1 , power density of 41 mW cm −2 , and cyclic stabilities with high energy efficiency of 64.44% at 2 mA cm −2. In addition, postmortem analysis validates that the oxidation and aggregation of CoO/N-rGO catalyst is mitigated while the inactivation of Zn anode is inhibited.