Bulk Superlattice Analogues for Energy Conversion

Abstract

Energy storage and conversion in a clean, efficient, and safe way is the core appeal of a modern sustainable society, which is built on the development of multifunctional materials. Superlattice structures can integrate the advantage of their sublayers while new phenomena may arise from the interface, which play key roles in modern semiconductor technology; however, additional concerns such as stability and yield challenge their large-scale applications in industrial products. In this Perspective we focus our interest on a distinctive category of easily available multilayered inorganic materials that have well-defined subunit structures and can be regarded as bulk superlattice analogues. We illustrate several specific combining forms of subunits in bulk superlattice analogues, including soft/rigid sublayers, electron/phonon transport sublayers, quasi-two-dimensional layers, and intercalated metal layers. We hope to provide insights into material design and broaden the application scope in the field of energy conversion by integrating the versatility of subunits into these bulk superlattice analogues.

An abnormal size effect enables ampere-level O2electroreduction to hydrogen peroxide in neutral electrolytes

“…To simplify the simulation process, only two theoretical crystal structures with different thickness (L-and S-ZnO) have been built, which includes hexagonal zinc oxide with supercells of 5 Â 3 Â 1 (for L-ZnO) and 2 Â 3 Â 1 (for S-ZnO), respectively. [28][29][30] As illustrated in Fig. 3a-c To analyze the above results from an electronic perspective, we have calculated the density of states (DOS) as well as the differential charge density for L-and S-ZnO adsorbed by *OOH intermediates.…”

Quasi‐Topological Intercalation Mechanism of Bi0.67NbS2 Enabling 100 C Fast‐Charging for Sodium‐Ion Batteries

“…From the molecular point of view, the activity of chemical reactions originates from the weak bonding interactions and possible migratory behavior of atoms. [35][36][37] Comparatively, the intercalation-type electrode materials with strong metal-anion bonding undergo a bonding strength decrease rather than bond breakage during ion insertion, [6,38] which resists deformation under stress and maintains a stable framework when incorporated with active components. [39][40][41] Moreover, 2D intercalation host frameworks with high electrical conductivity have been proven to not only buffer volume expansion of alloying metal but also greatly improve rate performance.…”

Intercalative Motifs‐Induced Space Confinement and Bonding Covalency Enhancement Enable Ultrafast and Large Sodium Storage

“…[36] Comparatively, the intercalative framework with relatively strong bond interactions can resist deformation under stress. [37,38] Rational integration of intercalative framework with alloying units has been demonstrated to not only promote diffusion kinetics and charge transfer but also provide improved intercalative redox pseudocapacitance. [39][40][41][42] Therefore, an ideal strategy to inhibit the aggregation of Bi is chemically confining Bi atoms into robust intercalative motifs through reversible metal-anion covalent bonding.…”