Publications

Sep, 2026

Journal

Cation-Diffusive Carbon Interlayers Stabilize Na Metal and Double the Current in Na-S Redox-Flow Batteries for Grid-Scale Energy Storage

The sodium-sulfur nonaqueous redox-flow batteries (Na-S NARFBs) using earth-abundant elements are highly attractive due to the low material cost and improved energy density for grid-scale energy storage. However, the low current performance, poor Na0/Na+ redox kinetics, and Na dendrite growth pose severe challenges. We introduce cation-diffusive layers (CDLs): thin and Na+…

Sep, 2026

Journal

Self-generated phosphate/oxysulfide passivation from dry-processed single-crystal NMC811 stabilizes argyrodite sulfide solid-state battery interfaces

Pushing sulfide all solid-state batteries (SSBs) beyond 500 Wh kg⁻¹ requires high voltage, high loading layered cathodes without accelerating sulfide electrolyte decomposition or losing interfacial contact. Polycrystalline NMC811 commonly fails under these conditions due to grain-boundary oxygen release, chemo-mechanical cracking, and growth of resistive cathode–electrolyt…

Sep, 2026

Journal

Suppressing Polysulfide Crossover in Sodium Polysulfide Redox-Flow Batteries with an Oxyanion-Functionalized Glass Fiber Separator

Sep, 2026

Journal

Are CO2 batteries ready for the grid? A cross-cutting deployment checklist

Metal-CO2 batteries have attracted considerable research interest in the past decade due to the utilization of the greenhouse CO2 gas. The low cost and abundance of CO2 feedstocks, together with high specific capacity metal anodes, make this technology a promising candidate for electricity-demanding data centers and grids. However, nonstandard data reporting, ambiguous har…

Aug, 2026

Journal

An Organic Carboxylate Host for Stable Sodium Metal Batteries

Sodium metal batteries (SMBs) hold great promise for the development of high-energy, sustainable energy storage solutions, but their practical deployment is hampered by unstable solid electrolyte interphases, uncontrollable sodium dendrite growth, and low Coulombic efficiency (CE) during repeated Na plating/stripping cycles. To address these challenges, we introduce an org…

Jun, 2026

Journal

Binder-Stabilized Carbon Fiber Hosts for High-Utilization Sodium–Polysulfide Flow Catholytes

Sodium-sulfur (Na-S) batteries hold promise as high-energy-density batteries for long-duration energy storage due to their high open circuit voltage and Earth-abundant active materials. However, low utilization of the sulfur active material limits the achievable specific capacity, especially when a liquid polysulfide catholyte is utilized. High-surface-area carbon material…

Sep, 2025

Journal

Pushing the Limits: Maximizing Energy Density in Silicon Sulfide Solid-State Batteries

For the first time, we demonstrate a silicon solid-state battery (SSB) architecture that achieves >400 Wh kg−1, approaching the theoretical limit for silicon-based SSBs. This configuration features a 99.9 wt% micro-Si, a thin sulfide solid electrolyte (SSE), and a high-loading NMC811. Key to these results is strategically selecting and evaluating the processing techniques,…

Sep, 2025

Journal

Unveiling the Reactivity of Fluoropolymers with Sodium Metal: Mechanistic Insights and Battery Implications

Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) has broad applications across various metal-ion battery systems, such as a binder for electrodes, a supporting matrix for electrolytes, and a separator material. Due to its excellent mechanical properties, PVDF-HFP has become an excellent candidate for fabricating gel and solid-state electrolytes in sodium-based b…

May, 2025

Journal

Effects of catholyte aging on high-nickel NMC cathodes in sulfide all-solid-state batteries

Sulfide solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) in all-solid-state batteries (SSBs) are recognized for their high ionic conductivity and inherent safety. The LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2 (NMC811) cathode offers a high thermodynamic potential of approximately 3.8 V vs. Li/Li+ and a theoretical specific capacity of 200 mA h g−1. However, the practical utilization of NMC811 in sulfide SSBs fa…

May, 2025

Journal

Optimizing Nonaqueous Sodium–Polysulfide Redox-Flow Batteries: The Role of Solvation Effects with Glyme Solvents

Nonaqueous redox-flow batteries (NARFBs) that use economical alkali metals and the corresponding metal polysulfides are highly attractive for grid-scale energy storage. Although sodium–sulfur systems have been recognized as promising candidates and have been the focus of many studies due to their high earth abundance and energy density, an understanding of the role of the…

May, 2025

Journal

Optimizing Nonaqueous Sodium–Polysulfide Redox-Flow Batteries: The Role of Solvation Effects with Glyme Solvents

Nonaqueous redox-flow batteries (NARFBs) that use economical alkali metals and the corresponding metal polysulfides are highly attractive for grid-scale energy storage. Although sodium–sulfur systems have been recognized as promising candidates and have been the focus of many studies due to their high earth abundance and energy density, an understanding of the role of the…

May, 2025

Journal

Binder Effects on Processing, Mechanical Properties, and Performance of Thin Sulfide Solid-State Electrolytes

All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) offer enhanced safety and energy density compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries by replacing flammable liquid electrolytes with solid-state electrolytes (SSEs). Among SSEs, sulfide-based electrolytes exhibit high ionic conductivity and mechanical deformability, making them promising candidates for next-generation energy storage. Ho…