Sheng Li

Nanjing Tech University | NJUT · Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM)

Mechanochemistry studies the effect of mechanical force on chemical bonds, bringing opportunities for synthesizing alloys, ceramics, organics, polymers, and biomaterials. A vital issue of applying macro-scale mechanical force to manipulate crystal structures is finding ways to precisely adjust the force directions to break micro-scale target chemic...

Na3V2(PO4)3 (NVP) is recognized as one of the most promising NASICON-type cathodes for sodium-ion storage. Enhancing electronic conductivity and further ensuring long-term structural stability when activating the high-voltage V⁴⁺/V⁵⁺ redox...

High capacity and outstanding rate performance of FeNbO4 nanochain anode with both intercalation and conversion reactions for lithium-ion batteries are demonstrated. The unique one-dimensional structure and intercalation pseudocapacitive behavior of...

High-entropy oxides (HEOs) can be well suited for lithium-ion battery anodes because of their multi-principal synergistic effect and good stability. The appropriate selection and combination of elements play a crucial...

Organic electrode materials (OEMs), valued for their sustainability and structural tunability, have been attracting increasing attention for wide application in sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) and other rechargeable batteries. However, most OEMs are plagued with insufficient specific capacity or poor cycling stability. Therefore, it′s imperative to enh...

Organic electrode materials (OEMs) have garnered significant attention in the field of sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) due to their sustainability and structural tunability. However, many OEMs suffer from low specific capacity and poor cycling stability. In this study, we have successfully designed and synthesized a heteroaromatic molecule called 2,3,8...

Developing an anode with excellent rate performance, long‐cycle stability, high coulombic efficiency, and high specific capacity is one of the key research directions of sodium‐ion batteries. Among all the anode materials, noncrystalline carbon (NCC) has great possibilities according to its supreme performance and low cost, but with the complexity...

The next-generation oxygen electrochemical catalysts based on non-precious metals have been extensively studied for zinc-air batteries (ZABs). Among them, Co–N–C catalysts have attracted considerable attention due to their excellent oxygen catalytic performance. However, the synthesis of Co nanoparticles with uniform structure and distribution on c...

Aqueous Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors (ZHSCs) have attracted extensive interest as a promising energy storage candidate beyond Li-ion hybrid technology due to their highly abundant Zn resources and exemplary safety. However,...

High-efficiency sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are in great demand for energy storage applications, which are dominated by the Na⁺ storage performance of electrode materials. Here, a one-pot solvothermal method is developed to construct amorphous/crystalline MoO2 (a/c-MoO2) homojunction for boosting Na⁺ storage. Theoretical simulations signify that el...

With high theoretical specific capacity, the low-cost MoO3 is known to be a promising anode for lithium-ion batteries. However, low electronic conductivity and sluggish reaction kinetics have limited its ability for lithium ion storage. To improve this, the phase engineering approach is used to fabricate orthorhombic/monoclinic MoO3 (α/h-MoO3) homo...

Herein, an efficient biomass utilization is proposed to prepare bio-oil-derived carbon (BODPC) with hierarchical pores and certain H/O/N functionalities for superior Li+/Na+ storage. Kinetic analyses reveal that BODPC has similar behavior in the electrochemical Li+ and Na+ storage processes, in terms of physical adsorption (Stage I), chemical redox...

Carbon materials derived from biomass waste are considered as potential electrocatalysts for applications in zinc-air batteries (ZABs) due to their low cost and good catalytic activity. Here, we reported the preparation of gel-based catalysts through utilizing hydrolyzed waste leather powder cross-linked with metallic salt solutions. After calcinat...

Compared with solid alkali metal anodes (Li, Na, K), liquid metal anodes (LMAs) could enable high-energy batteries due to their unique advantages, such as self-healing property and no dendrites. Among LMAs, liquid Na-K alloy anode has become a hotspot due to its high theoretical capacity, low redox potential and formation at room temperature (RT)....

Leather based gel electrolytes were prepared from the top down method, and integrated flexible supercapacitors were developed by this method.

Membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) technology is a promising water quality desalination technology. It is reasonably necessary to find suitable electrode materials with unique properties for high desalination performance. Herein, fish scales (FSs) are selected as precursors for obtaining carbon materials with a hierarchical porous structure wi...

Germanium (Ge), an alloy-type anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), possesses many advantages such as high theoretical capacity and decent electrical conductivity. Nevertheless, its application is restricted by tremendous volume variation and tardy reaction kinetic during discharge/charge process. In this paper, the Ge/3DPG composites wi...

To satisfy the requirements for high-power energy storage devices, high-rate anode materials are highly desirable. Herein, precise interfacial engineering of transition metal oxides (TMOs: α-Fe2O3, T-Nb2O5, WO3) is achieved to...

With the development of flexible devices, the demand for wearable power sources has increased and gradually become imperative. Zinc–air batteries (ZABs) have attracted lots of research interest due to their high theoretical energy density and excellent safety properties, which can meet the wearable energy supply requirements. Here, the flexibility...

Aqueous Zn ion batteries (AZIBs) have been widely studied due to their high safety, suitable redox potential and high theoretical capacity. As the most commonly used anode for AZIBs, Zn foil suffers from severe dendrites growth and undesired side reactions, causing battery failure. In this work, a coating layer of stacked SiO2 spheres is designed o...

Hard carbons (HCs) have great potential as anode material for high-performance potassium ion batteries (PIBs). However, due to the complexity of HCs, the relationship between their structures and potassium (K) storage behaviors is still not quite clear. Here, three types of HCs with different structures are designed for further understanding the el...

Lithium-sulfur batteries have attracted much attention due to their low cost, environment-friendliness, and high energy density. However, it is hard to get a satisfactory performance due to the low conductivity of sulfur, the volume changes from sulfur to lithium sulfides during the cycling, and the shuttle effect of the intermediate product of pol...

In-situ Raman and electrochemical results reveal that Na+ adsorb on the surface/defective sites of the N/P-HCNF and insert randomly into its turbostratic nanodomains in a dilute state without the staging...

The introduction of oxygen vacancies into Nb 2 O 5 can provide more sites for lithium storage and boost electron/ion transport kinetics. Consequently, the Nb 2 O 5−x exhibits high lithium storage capacity, superior rate capability, and cycling stability.

The electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR), a contributor for producing ammonia under mild conditions sustainably, has recently attracted global research attention. Thus far, the design of highly efficient electrocatalysts to enhance NRR efficiency is a specific focus of the research. Among them, defect engineering of electrocatalysts is...

To address the growing concern for the rapidly increasing energy storage demand, it requires vigorous development of cutting-edge electrode materials to improve the lithium storage performance. Transition metal nitrides (TMNs), owning to the high electrical conductivity and considerable theoretical capacity, have attracted widespread attention as t...

The unique crystal structure and multiple redox couples of iron titanate (Fe2TiO5) provide it a high theoretical capacity and good cycling stability when used as an electrode. In this study, the electrospinning method is employed to synthesize one-dimensional (1D) Fe2TiO5 nanochains. The as-prepared Fe2TiO5 nanochains exhibited superior specific ca...

Compounding with carbonaceous materials is the most common method used to improve the performance of battery electrodes. In this work, the hydrothermal method is employed to synthesize the pure Nb2O5 and Nb2O5@rGO composites. Meanwhile, the electrochemical performance of pure Nb2O5 and Nb2O5@rGO composites as the anode for the lithium-ion battery i...

Shape‐selective catalysis plays a key role in chemical synthesis. Porous nanomaterials with uniform pore structures are ideal supports for metal nanoparticles (MNPs) to generate efficient shape‐selective catalysis. However, many commercial irregular porous nanomaterials face the challenge to realize satisfactory shape selectivity due to the lack of...

Lithium-sulfur battery (Li–S) is considered as one of the new-generation rechargeable batteries with high performance because of its extremely high theoretical capacity, energy density, environmental harmony and low cost. However, low electrical and ionic conductivity of sulfur, safety concerns and parasitic reaction generated by the dissolved poly...

A modifier strategy is utilized to create shape selectivity in metal nanoparticle/porous nanomaterial with regular/irregular pore structures by intentionally poisoning certain MNPs. The strategy of flexibly matching different MNPs and corresponding modifiers could be extended to various catalytic systems such as selective hydrogenation and selectiv...

The ability of perceiving external pressures and conducting corresponding signals is one of the important functions of flexible electronics, which has been widely studied in electronic skin, prosthetics, robotics, healthcare, human-machine interfaces, etc. Pressure sensor should not be limited to the detection of unidirectional pressure. Here, a le...

Thermal treatment of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) as a post‐treatment approach has grown in popularity and resulted in various MOF‐derived materials. However, the widely used extreme thermolytic conditions (usually above 500 °C) lead to degradation in the well‐defined MOFs intrinsic properties. This work demonstrates that MIL‐101 calcined at med...

Printing methods are potential strategies to realize the fabrication of flexible electronics in large scale with low cost, which have been widely adopted to fabricate flexible electronic whisker (e-whisker). However, the sensors fabricated by these methods are typically fragile to surface damage as their conductive pattern is exposed on the surface...

Lithium‐sulfur (Li‐S) batteries suffer from the poor cycle stability and low Coulombic efficiency, which are mainly caused by the intrinsic polysulfides shuttle, resulting from not only concentration gradient diffusion but also slow conversion kinetics of polysulfides. Here, we present nitrogen‐doped carbon coated cobalt nickel selenide (Co‐NiSe2@N...

In the pursuit of high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), silicon (Si) is a promising candidate to replace graphite due to its high specific capacity, low electrochemical potential, low cost and environmental friendliness. However, the fast capacity decay of Si impedes its practical applications. The essential modifications for Si have be...

Exploring advanced electrode material is indispensable for achieving enhanced capacitive deionization (CDI) performance. Utilizing low-cost and eco-friendly leather wastes as precursors, herein a carbon aerogel with rich N, O and S doping has been constructed by a one-step activated pyrolysis process. Distortional carbon nanocrystallites (DCNs) in...

The exploration of transitional metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) is important due to their unique properties and promising applications. Hence, searching a suitable strategy to design transitional MOFs with different states becomes a key issue. Herein, we develop a modulator-induced strategy for fabricating transitional MOFs with carboxylic ligands...

A simple but effective in-situ decorated cathode is presented for Li-S battery, utilizing the irreversible discharge products between a cathode additive (carbon fluoride) and Li. The in-situ formed LiF and...

Here, we wrap the Co3O4 nanoparticles into nitrogen-doped graphitic carbon nanofibers (Co3O4@NGFs) as a self-standing electrode for lithium-ion batteries. In this structure, graphitic carbon acts as composite framework that enhances the conductivity, accommodates the volume expansion and increases the contact with the electrolyte. Meanwhile, the po...

Although zinc-air batteries (ZABs) have been extensively studied due to their advantages, there is still room for improving flexible ZABs especially in identifying suitable self-standing flexible electrode materials. Here, flexible porous nanofibers imbedded with Co nanoparticles and nitrogen-doped graphitic carbon (Co@NPCFs) have been synthesized...

Construction of three-dimensional (3D) conductive interconnected network architecture is an effective strategy to improve the performance of lithium-ion storage capability. Currently, the main challenges faced by silicon (Si) electrodes are volume change and low intrinsic electrical conductivity since the former will lead to severe particle pulveri...

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising materials with fascinating properties. Their widespread applications are sometimes hindered by the intrinsic instability of frameworks. However, this instability of MOFs can also be exploited for useful purposes. Herein, we report the use of MOFs as metal ion precursors for constructing functional nanoc...

The design and preparation of electrode material with advanced desalination properties are key factors to the capacitive deionization (CDI) technique. Herein, a nitrogen (N) doped porous carbon has been successfully fabricated using whipped egg foam as precursor. It possesses a unique micro-mesopore structure with ultra-high specific surface area o...

The development of advanced anode materials is crucial to enhance the performance of sodium ion batteries (SIBs). In this study, SnSe2 nanoparticles chemically embedded in carbon shell ([email protected]) were fabricated from Sn-organic frameworks, and evaluated as an anode material for SIBs. The structural characterization demonstrated that there...

SiO2 is regarded as one of the most promising anode materials for Li‐ion batteries due to its high capacity, low cost and other merits. However, the poor conductivity and the volume change are still hindering its practical applications. In this work, a rambutan‐inspired structure is designed to fabricate amorphous SiO2@N, P co‐doped porous carbon f...

Pressure sensor can be applied in a wide range of fields, such as voice recognition, human motions detection and artificial electronic skin, the sensing of which is greatly influenced by the flexibility and stretchability of substrate materials. Here, based on the piezoresistive effect, new kinds of flexible pressure sensors have been realized from...

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are considered as promising materials with fascinating properties. Their widespread applications are sometimes hindered by intrinsic instability of frameworks. However, like a coin has two sides, the instability of MOFs can also be employed for decent utilizations. Here, we report a concept of taking MOFs as metal io...

Sensitivity, line range and response time are key indices to evaluate the performance of electrochemical sensor. The approach commonly used to improve electrochemical sensor performance is to search for active materials with chemical components and structures. Herein, starting of Co-based zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-67), we demonstrated a s...

Flexible and wearable strain sensor has drawn a great deal of attention owing to its wide applications in health monitoring, human–machine interfaces, soft robotics, etc. Microstructural design on the conductive layer of strain sensor effectively improves its performance in linearity and hysteresis effect, yet the process of achieving microstructur...

Although sodium ion batteries (SIBs) possess many beneficial features, their rate performance, cycling stability, and safety need improvement for commercial applications. Based on the mechanisms of the sodium ions storage in carbon materials, herein we present a multiple active sites decorated amorphous carbon (MAC) with rich structural defects and...

Natrium auf dem Speicher: Kohlenstoff, der mit mehreren aktiven Zentren und Heteroatomdotierung im amorphen Zustand ausgestattet ist, wird vorgestellt. Die aktiven Zentren können im Ladungs-/Entladungsprozess reversibel an Natriumionen binden, wodurch das Material schnelle und langlebige Natriumspeichereigenschaften aufweist. Abstract Although sod...

Lithium–sulfur battery has drawn widely attention due to its high theoretical energy density, in addition to the abundant and affordable sulfur. However, the battery performances are still not satisfied due to the undesired shuttle effect of polysulfides, the sluggish reaction kinetics, together with the intrinsic non-conductivity of active materia...

Exploring novel electrode materials with high rate capability and outstanding cycling stability is an urgent issue for sodium ion batteries (SIBs). Herein, Bi2S3 nanorods anchoring on rGO (Bi2S3@rGO composite) has been designed and synthesized for sodium storage applications. With the contributions from the unique structure, the surface C‐S bonds o...

This article presents a leather-based respiration sensor based on the ionic conductivity change of leather, caused by humidity variation during breathing. Leather was applied as a flexible substrate due to its biocompatibility, hydroscopicity, porosity, and ionic conductivity. Printing method was employed to fabricate the sensor which could convert...

Although there are plenty of merits for lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries, its undesired shuttle effect and its insulated nature are hindering the practical applications. Here, a conductive metal–organic framework (MOF) modified separator has been designed and fabricated through a facile filtration method to address the issues. Specifically, its intr...

Surface modification is an effective strategy to address the critical issues of Ni-rich LiNi1-x-yCoxMnyO2 (NCM) cathode material, including fast energy loss and stability in lithium ion battery. However, both single/double layers coating strategies suffer many fatal drawbacks, such as functional unitary or poor components contacting. Herein, we pre...

Electronic skin (e‐skin), an important part toward the realization of artificial intelligence, has been developing through comprehending, mimicking, and eventually outperforming skin in some aspects. Most of the e‐skin substrates are flexible polymers, such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Although PDMS was found to be biocompatible, it is not suita...

Developing high rate anode materials with large capacity for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) is quite necessary for the booming electrical vehicles industry. The utilization of stable and conductive hollow structures for electrode composite materials could achieve expected performances in the future. Thus, in this study, a hollow structured Ni-CoSe2 e...

Lithium metal is among the most promising anode materials for high-energy batteries due to its high theoretical capacity and lowest electrochemical potential. However, uncontrolled lithium decomposition and dendrite formation have hindered its practical applications. Here, we propose a facile and effective strategy using thionyl chloride (SOCl2) as...

Compartmentalization is an essential feature found in living cells to ensure multiple biological processes occur without being affected by undesired external influences. Here, compartmentalized systems are developed based on the self‐assembly of metal–organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles into multifunctional MOF capsules (MOF‐Cs). Such MOF‐Cs have...

improve electrochemical properties in supercapacitors. Herein, a facile carbonizing strategy was adopted for structuring leaf-like CoSNC nanocomposites, which own both the sheets structure and multi-composites of well-dispersed CoS2 nanoparticles in N-doped carbon frameworks. First, the leaf-like nanocomposites with high aspect ratio effectively sh...

Sodium ion batteries suffer the disadvantages of poor rate performance and cycling stability due to its sluggish sodiation kinetics. A rational design strategy for both materials compositions and structures has been proposed to meet these challenges. Herein, a triple-component composite derived from MOFs, comprising FeS2, nitrogen-sulfur co-doped p...

Multicomponent metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) derivatives have attracted strong interest in energy and environmental fields. However, most of the papers focus on single MOFs derivatives, reports on multicomponent MOFs derivatives and their catalytic studies are relatively few. Here, we report an easy-to-operate strategy to obtain multicomponent MO...