Yolk–shell nanoarchitecture for stabilizing a Ce₂S₃ anode

Abstract

Rare‐earth sulfides are of research interest for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) due to their abundant lithium intercalation sites and low redox voltage. However, their electrochemical performances are not satisfactory because of poor conductivity and volume change upon electrochemical cycling. Herein, nanoarchitectures of γ‐Ce2S3 encapsulated in a hollow mesoporous carbon nanosphere (Ce2S3@HMCS) are fabricated using the self‐template strategy combined with the in‐sphere sulfuration method and tested as an LIB anode. The void space between the Ce2S3 core and the outer layer of the carbon nanosphere has been properly designed and modulated to achieve excellent electrochemical performance in terms of electronic conductivity, reversibility, and rate capability. The reversible capacity of Ce2S3@HMCS is 2.6 times that of the pure Ce2S3 anode, which can gradually increase and maintain a capacity of 282 mAh·g−1 at a current density of 1 A·g–1, and a high Coulombic efficiency (~100%) can be achieved even after 1000 cycles. This good performance is attributed to the unique yolk–shell nanostructure with a highly crystallized and stable Ce3S2 core and volume expansion buffer space upon lithiation/delithiation. Ex situ X‐ray diffraction and nuclear magnetic resonance results indicate that the lithiation of Ce2S3@HMCS is an intercalation process. This study represents an important advancement in precise structural design with in‐sphere sulfuration and sheds light on a potential direction for high‐performance lithium storage.

Pressure‐Stabilized High‐Entropy (FeCoNiCuRu)S2 Sulfide Anode toward Simultaneously Fast and Durable Lithium/Sodium Ion Storage

“…All spectra show the formation of Li 2 S located at ≈0 ppm with a linewidth of ≈20 ppm. [ 42,46,47 ] The center resonance moves slightly towards to high shift value during deep discharge, with increasing linewidth, which is possibly due to the formation of more Li 2 S with increased anisotropy. After one cycle (Charge 3.0 V in Figure 3j), a sharp resonance becomes significant at 0 ppm and is assigned to the residual electrolyte LiPF 6 and a further possible decomposed component, such as LiF and Li 2 CO 3 , of SEI.…”

Grain Engineering of Sb2S3 Thin Films to Enable Efficient Planar Solar Cells with High Open‐Circuit Voltage

“…The results are consistent with those reported in the literature for Ce 2 S 3 , indicating the existence of Ce 3+ . [ 24 ] Moreover, the reduced Ce peak intensity for the 30 min‐deposited film compared to the 15 min‐deposited film as well as the quantitative analysis of atomic ratios further implies the preferential formation of Ce 2 S 3 prior to the deposition of Sb 2 S 3 (Table S3, Supporting Information). High resolution XPS spectra and spectral deconvolution analysis of Sb 3d, S 2p, and Ce 3d for 180 min‐deposited control Sb 2 S 3 and 1%Ce‐Sb 2 S 3 film samples are given in Figure S8 (Supporting Information).…”

The glass phase in the grain boundary of Na3Zr2Si2PO12, created by gallium modulation

“…EDS linear scanning across this particle is shown in Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has proven to be a suitable technology to gain the local structure and surrounding structure on the atomic scale, together with atomic dynamics. [24][25][26][27][28] Here, solid state magic angle spinning (MAS) 23 Na NMR spectra (Fig. 3a) show a broad signal at −8 ppm for all NASICON samples due to fast exchange occurring on three Na sites.…”