ABSTRACT
High-entropy materials (HEMs), including alloys, ceramics and other entropy-stabilized compounds, have attracted considerable attention in different application fields. This is due to their intrinsically unique concept and properties, such as innovative chemical composition, structural characteristics, and correspondingly improved functional properties. By establishing an environment with different chemical compositions, HEMs as novel materials possessing superior attributes present unparalleled prospects when compared with their conventional counterparts. Notably, great attention has been paid to investigating HEMs such as thermoelectrics (TE), especially for application in energy-related fields. In this review, we started with the basic definitions of TE fundamentals, the existing thermoelectric materials (TEMs), and the strategies adopted for their improvement. Moreover, we introduced HEMs, summarized the core effects of high-entropy (HE), and emphasized how HE will open up new avenues for designing high-entropy thermoelectric materials (HETEMs) with promising performance and high reliability. Through selecting and analyzing recent scientific publications, this review outlines recent scientific breakthroughs and the associated challenges in the field of HEMs for TE applications. Finally, we classified the different types of HETEMs based on their structure and properties and discussed recent advances in the literature.
ABSTRACT
Rechargeable sodium-ion batteries have recently attracted renewed interest as an alternative to Li-ion batteries for electric energy storage applications, because of the low cost and wide availability of sodium resources. Thus, the electrochemical energy storage community has been devoting increased attention to designing new cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries. Here we investigate P2- Na0.78Co1/2Mn1/3Ni1/6O2 as a cathode material for sodium ion batteries. The main focus is to understand the mechanism of the electrochemical performance of this material, especially differences observed in redox reactions at high potentials. Between 4.2 V and 4.5 V, the material delivers a reversible capacity which is studied in detail using advanced analytical techniques. In situ X-ray diffraction reveals the reversibility of the P2-type structure of the material. Combined soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering demonstrates that Na deintercalation at high voltages is charge compensated by formation of localized electron holes on oxygen atoms.
ABSTRACT
Worries about lithium supplies have led to the development of research on sodium batteries. Sodium-ion batteries are regarded as the next generation of energy-storage devices thanks to the generous resources of sodium. In spite of that, structural changes in the electrode materials remain the main challenge of this storage technology. NaCoO2 has been widely investigated as a competitive candidate for LiCoO2. It has been found that the electrochemical cycling curves of this material present numerous potential steps as a result of electronic transitions and/or structural ordering. From this standpoint, this paper reports a novel cathode material, Na2/3Co0.95Ti0.05O2, where 5% of cobalt was replaced by titanium, prepared via a facile solid-state route. The sodiation/desodiation mechanism of this layered material was investigated. Na//Na2/3Co0.95Ti0.05O2 exhibits a first initial capacity of 119 mAh/g in the potential window 2-4.2 V with less potential jumps in the potential versus capacity curve compared to NaCoO2. Genuinely, the electrochemistry of this material demonstrated a reversibility upon the insertion/desinertion process with low polarization. In situ synchrotron investigations on Na2/3Co0.95Ti0.05O2 reveal the occurrence of reversible ordered phases. Ex situ magic-angle-spinning NMR disclosed different environments around sodium starting from the pristine state to the end of charge.
