@article {49796, title = {A carbon nanotube wrapped Na3V2(PO4)2F3 cathode with a dual cation electrolyte: enhancing high-voltage stability and cyclability in zinc-ion batteries}, journal = {Nanoscale}, volume = {17}, year = {2025}, month = {NOV }, pages = {25631-25642}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) offer several compelling advantages as a safer and sustainable energy storage system. Polyanion-based cathodes, characterized by their comparatively higher voltage and structural stability, are promising for ZIBs. However, challenges hinder their practical applications, such as inferior rate capability and limited cycling stability. In this study, we constructed a carbon nanotube wrapped Na3V2(PO4)2F3 (NVPF-CNT) cathode integrated with a highly concentrated dual cation electrolyte (DCE) to enhance the electrochemical performance of ZIBs by enabling a synergistic Na+ and Zn2+ co-insertion mechanism. The DCE effectively regulates the solvation structure, stabilizes the solid electrolyte interface (SEI), minimizes free water molecules, thereby widening the electrochemical window and reducing the side reactions, and inhibits cathode dissolution. Consequently, the CNT-wrapped NVPF cathode exhibits an initial reversible capacity of 131.3 mAh g-1 at 0.05 A g-1, and retains 84\% of its capacity over 500 cycles at 1 A g-1, with a nominal voltage of similar to 1.5 V. This approach offers valuable insights into the potential of CNT-wrapped NVPF cathodes in combination with a DCE while providing a comprehensive framework for advancing high-performance ZIBs.

}, issn = {2040-3364}, doi = {10.1039/d5nr03371c}, author = {Pandey, Priyanshi and Shivade, Rajkiran and Deshmukh, Ashvini and Shelke, Manjusha} } @article {49778, title = {Enhanced oxygen electrocatalysis in zinc-air batteries via a bifunctional bimetallic organic framework}, journal = {Journal of Power Sources}, volume = {659}, year = {2025}, month = {DEC }, pages = {238465}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

An efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst, a nickel-iron metal organic framework (NF-MOF) grown within three-dimensional (3D) nitrogen doped porous carbon (NPC) collectively referred as NF-MOF@NPC, is developed as high performance electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The synergistic effect of bimetallic active sites coupled with conductive nitrogen doped porous carbon matrix, provides chemical stability, abundant active sites, enhanced electron transfer, and improve catalytic activity. NFMOF@NPC exhibits OER onset potential of 1.60 V at current density of 10 mA cm- 2 with Tafel slope of 126 mV dec- 1 and ORR half wave potential of 0.81 V with electron transfer number of 3.91. A zinc-air battery fabricated using NF-MOF@NPC shows peak power density of 102 mW cm-2 and specific capacity of 741 mAh g-Z 1n. It also exhibits remarkable cycling stability for 120 h at current density of 10 mA cm- 2 highlighting its promise as alternative for conventional platinum on carbon (Pt/C) and ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) electrocatalysts demonstrating its potential for next generation energy storage devices.

}, keywords = {Bifunctional Electrocatalyst, Rotating disk electrode, zinc-air battery}, issn = {0378-7753}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpowsour.2025.238465}, author = {Shivade, Rajkiran D. and Pandey, Priyanshi and Shelke, Manjusha V.} } @article {49963, title = {Zincke-derived viologen covalent organic framework as a high-performance cathode for aqueous zinc-iodine batteries}, journal = {Small}, volume = {21}, year = {2025}, month = {DEC }, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Aqueous zinc-iodine (Zn-I2) batteries are among the most promising energy storage technologies, offering high energy density, low cost, and intrinsic safety. However, their practical deployment is hindered by the polyiodide shuttle effect, leading to rapid capacity fading and poor cycling performance. This work demonstrates the application of a crystalline viologen-based covalent organic framework (TAB-DNP-BP COF), synthesized via a one-pot Zincke reaction, as an efficient iodine host material. The cationic backbone of the TAB-DNP-BP COF effectively confines iodine (I2) species and electrostatically traps polyiodides, suppressing their migration and protecting the zinc anode. Zinc-iodine batteries assembled with an I2-enriched TAB-DNP-BP COF (TAB-DNP-BP COF@I2) cathode deliver a high specific capacity of 337 mAh g-1 at 0.5 C, surpassing the performance of most reported COF-, MOF-, and cage-based systems, while exhibiting excellent cycling stability over 5000 cycles. This work highlights the potential of ionic COFs for stabilizing iodine chemistry and offers a promising strategy toward the development of high-performance, durable aqueous Zn-I2 batteries.

}, keywords = {iCOF, iodine confinement, viologen, zinc-iodine batteries, Zincke reaction}, issn = {1613-6810}, doi = {10.1002/smll.202506012}, author = {Das, Gobinda and Shivade, Rajkiran and Pandey, Priyanshi and Varghese, Sabu and Rajput, Nitul and Matouk, Zineb and Martinez, Jose Ignacio and Straubinger, Rainer and Benyettou, Farah and Gandara, Felipe and Olson, Mark A. and Aouad, Samer and Shelke, Manjusha V. and Trabolsi, Ali} } @article {50018, title = {Molecularly engineered PW12@Polypyrrole/MXene composite for high-energy, high-rate lithium-ion capacitor}, journal = {Journal of Energy Storage}, volume = {148}, year = {2026}, month = {FEB }, pages = {120165}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Due to inherent differences in the charge storage mechanisms of anode and cathode in a hybrid lithium-ion capacitor (LIC), a significant kinetic balance exists, necessitating the need to improve the ion/electron transfer capability of anode materials. In this study, we have developed a ternary pseudocapacitive composite comprising redox-active phosphotungstic acid nanoclusters (PW12) anchored to polypyrrole nanofibers (PPy), which are further decorated with Ti3C2Tx MXene (PW12@PPy/Ti3C2Tx) synthesized via an in-situ polymerization strategy. Here, Ti3C2Tx MXene serves as a conductive scaffold for PW12 wrapped PPy nanofibers, promoting efficient electron/ion transport. Simultaneously, the incorporation of PW12-anchored PPy nanofibers effectively mitigates the natural tendency of MXene to restack, thus preserving its layered structure. The PW12@PPy/Ti3C2Tx hybrid composite material delivers a high specific capacity of 767 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 after 100 cycles and a promising cycling stability of 280 mAh g-1 at 1 A g-1 up to 600 cycles. Moreover, an assembled LIC device using PW12@PPy/Ti3C2Tx as anode with nitrogen-doped sucrose carbon (NSC) as cathode demonstrates the highest energy density of 125 Wh kg-1 and maximum power density of 17,058 W kg-1. The device also maintains good cycling stability of 78.4 \% capacity retention after 10,000 cycles at 1 A g-1. These results highlight a promising pathway for designing MXene-based hybrid composites with enhanced lithium storage performance, effectively addressing the kinetic mismatch challenges in LIC anode applications.

}, keywords = {Full cell device, Li ion diffusion, Lithium-ion capacitor, MXene, polyoxometalates, polypyrrole}, issn = {2352-152X}, doi = {10.1016/j.est.2025.120165}, author = {Pawar, Meenakshi D. and Pandey, Priyanshi and Shelke, Manjusha} }