@article {49432, title = {Glory of fire retardants in Li-ion batteries: could they be intrinsically safer?}, journal = {Advanced Sustainable Systems}, volume = {8}, year = {2024}, month = {OCT}, pages = {2400273}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have dramatically transformed modern energy storage, powering a wide range of devices from portable electronics to electric vehicles, yet the use of flammable liquid electrolytes raises thermal safety concerns. Researchers have investigated several ways to enhance LIB{\textquoteright}s fire resistance. Fire retarding molecules functions through cooling effects, scavenging radicals, and forming protective barriers. Incorporating fire-suppressing molecules within the LIBs aims to delay or mitigate thermal runaway scenarios, reducing the risks of fires or explosions. Achieving an optimal balance between safety and performance is a major obstacle in the design of intrinsically safer LIBs. Therefore, it is important to consider their effects on LIB{\textquoteright}s performance, long-term stability, and environmental impact. To overcome these challenges, collaborative research efforts among academia, industry, and regulatory sectors are necessary. This article reviews state-of-the-art literature associated with LIBs safety or even fire mitigation by introducing solid-state or quasi-solid-state electrolytes as well as modified liquid electrolytes. Moreover, the effectiveness of various strategies in making LIBs intrinsically safer is critically evaluated with an emphasis on fire retardants followed by shedding some light on the remaining challenges.

}, author = {Mishra, Rajat and Anne, Mounika and Das, Sayan and Chavva, Tarunikaa and Shelke, Manjusha V. and Pol, Vilas G.} } @article {49112, title = {Wide temperature enhanced sodium storage in tailored, sustainable sodiophilic biphasic N-doped carbon}, journal = {Materials Today Chemistry }, volume = {37}, year = {2024}, month = {APR}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Alternative to Li-ion batteries(LIB), Na-ion batteries (NIB) and Na metal batteries (NMB) are gaining significant attention due to their low cost, abundance, and safety. By modulating microstructural properties such as graphitization, heteroatom doping, surface-rich functional groups, and interlayer d-spacing, Na-ion storage in NIB and Na plating/striping in NMB can be ameliorated. This study reports sodiophilic N-doped polymer-derived carbon (PDC) as an anode for NIB and host for Na metal in NMB. As NIB anode, PDC provides a storage capacity of 173 mAh g- 1 at 1 A g- 1 in half-cell and 84 mAh g- 1 at 1C (1C = 128 mAhg- 1) in full-cell with Na3V2(PO4)2F3 (NVPF) cathode. As Na metal anode (NMA) host, a high columbic efficiency (C.E.) of 99.45\% for over 1000 cycles at 6 mA cm- 2_4 mAh cm-2 is obtained. Furthermore, fascinating wide temperature (50 degrees C and -20 degrees C) sodiumion storage is successfully demonstrated by PDC. Advanced X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the formation of stable and uniform solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) composed of inorganic and organic components, X-ray microtomography confirmed uniform Na plating throughout the volume of the electrode analogous to Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) results. A sustainable and scalable promising biphasic NIB anode and sodiophilic host for Na metal was possible due to larger d-spacing, partial graphitization, high mesoporosity, N-doping, presence of surface functional groups, better charge transfer, and diffusion properties.

}, keywords = {Full-cell, Low and elevated temperatures, Na metal host, Polymer-derived carbon, Sodium-ion battery, X-ray tomography}, issn = {2468-5194}, doi = {10.1016/j.mtchem.2024.101978}, author = {Yadav, Poonam and Das, Anoushka K. and Torris, Arun and Wasnik, Kundan and Koppisetti, Heramba Venkata Sai Rama Murthy and Pol, Vilas G. and Shelke, Vilas and Shelke, Manjusha} }