In situ constructed (010)-oriented LiFePO4 nanocrystals/carbon nanofiber hybrid network: Facile synthesis of free-standing cathodes for lithium-ion batteries

Enhanced Lithium Extraction from Brines: Prelithiation Effect of FePO4 with Size and Morphology Control

Extracting lithium resources from seawater and brine can promote the development of the new energy materials industry. The electrochemical method is green and efficient. Iron phosphate (FePO4) crystal, with its 1D ion channel, holds significant potential as a primary lithium extraction electrode material. Li+ encounters a substantial concentration disadvantage in brines, and the co-intercalation of Na+ diminishes Li+ selectivity. To address this issue, this work enhances the energy barrier for Na+ insertion through prelithiation strategies applied to the 1D channels of FePO4 crystal, thereby improving Li+ selectivity, and further investigating the prelithiation effect with particle size and morphology control. The results indicate that the Li(4C-40%)FePO4// Activated carbon(AC) system enhances selectivity of lithium. The Li(4C-40%)FePO4 with size diameter of 2500 nm demonstrates an energy consumption of 0.79 Wh mol-1 and a purity of 97.94% for lithium extraction at a unit lithium extraction of 5.93 mmol g-1 in simulated brine. Li(4C-40%)FePO4-nanoplates demonstrate the most optimal lithium extraction performance among the three morphologies due to their lamellar structure's short ion diffusion path in the [010] channel, favoring Li+ diffusion. The diffusion energy barriers of Li+ and Na+ are calculated using Density Functional Theory (DFT) before and after prelithiation, showing good agreement with experimental results.

Advances in Electrospun Materials and Methods for Li-Ion Batteries

Electronic devices commonly use rechargeable Li-ion batteries due to their potency, manufacturing effectiveness, and affordability. Electrospinning technology offers nanofibers with improved mechanical strength, quick ion transport, and ease of production, which makes it an attractive alternative to traditional methods. This review covers recent morphology-varied nanofibers and examines emerging nanofiber manufacturing methods and materials for battery tech advancement. The electrospinning technique can be used to generate nanofibers for battery separators, the electrodes with the advent of flame-resistant core-shell nanofibers. This review also identifies potential applications for recycled waste and biomass materials to increase the sustainability of the electrospinning process. Overall, this review provides insights into current developments in electrospinning for batteries and highlights the commercialization potential of the field.

Electrospun Nanofiber Electrodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Electrospun nanofiber materials have the advantages of good continuity, large specific surface areas, and high structural tunability, which provide many desirable characteristics for lithium-ion battery electrodes. Here, the principles and advantages of electrospinning technology are first elaborated, then the previous studies on high-performance nanofibrous electrode materials prepared by electrospinning technology are comprehensively summarized, and the correlation between 1D nanostructured materials and electrode performances is discussed. Finally, the remaining challenges of nanofibrous electrodes are proposed and some future study directions of this particular area are pointed out. This review provides new enlightenment for the design of nanofibrous electrodes toward high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

Application of Electrospun Nanofibers for Fabrication of Versatile and Highly Efficient Electrochemical Devices: A Review

Electrochemical devices convert chemical reactions into electrical energy or, vice versa, electricity into a chemical reaction. While batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors, solar cells, and sensors belong to the galvanic cells based on the first reaction, electrolytic cells are based on the reversed process and used to decompose chemical compounds by electrolysis. Especially fuel cells, using an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen with an oxidizing agent to produce electricity, and electrolytic cells, e.g., used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, are of high interest in the ongoing search for production and storage of renewable energies. This review sheds light on recent developments in the area of electrospun electrochemical devices, new materials, techniques, and applications. Starting with a brief introduction into electrospinning, recent research dealing with electrolytic cells, batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors, electrochemical solar cells, and electrochemical sensors is presented. The paper concentrates on the advantages of electrospun nanofiber mats for these applications which are mostly based on their high specific surface area and the possibility to tailor morphology and material properties during the spinning and post-treatment processes. It is shown that several research areas dealing with electrospun parts of electrochemical devices have already reached a broad state-of-the-art, while other research areas have large space for future investigations.