Themed collection Design and characterization of flexible electrode materials

Xiu Song (George) Zhao, Hui Ying Yang, and Qiang Li introduce the Journal of Materials Chemistry A themed collection on design and characterization of flexible electrode materials.

This perspective article discusses the research, issues, and prospects of flexible batteries and supercapacitors in terms of one- and two-dimensions, as well as their stretchable, bendable, and twistable properties.

This review highlights the materials selection and self-charging performance of polymer based piezoelectric components in all-in-one self-charging power systems.

This review provides a summary of recent advancements in 1D/2D carbon materials (carbon nanotubes, graphene, MXenes, and carbon fibers) for FZIBs. It mainly introduces the functions of 1D/2D carbon materials in enhancing the performance of FZIBs.

This paper reviews the progress of flexible electrodes in recent years, including flexible substrates, active materials, manufacturing methods, and their latest applications in flexible sensors, flexible energy storage, and medical and healthcare.

Recent strategies for improving the uniformity of metallic nanowire-based flexible transparent electrodes for application in highly reliable flexible devices are reviewed.

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysis is the key to solve the problem of hydrogen production by hydrolyzing water and secondary metal–air batteries.

In this review, first, the synthesis of CMPs is reviewed. Second, the application of CMPs in flexible electronics is emphatically introduced. Finally, the problems and challenges of CMPs in flexible electrode materials are discussed.

The anode-free lithium metal battery is characterized by light weight, low cost, high-energy density, and high safety and shows great potential for the application of flexible devices.

This review aims to offer insights into the fundamental mechanisms of triggering electrolyte flooding in GDEs for CO₂ electrolysis approaches for characterizing flooding, and potential strategies for mitigating electrolyte flooding.

This review covers recent advancements in flexible resistive tactile pressure sensors, including operational principles, performance metrics, material choices, structural design, and applications, as well as future challenges.

An overview of nanostructured PANI gas sensors and chemiresistive or heterojunction-based PANI composite gas sensors.

Flexible Zn-ion hybrid supercapacitors (f-ZHSCs), with inherent safety, combine the advantages of the high power density of SCs and the high energy density of ZIBs, making them a promising energy supply device for wearable devices.

rCSCTN hybrids are synthesized through a facile hydrothermal method and employed for the fabrication of a flexible all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor with superb performance.

We validate the concept of fully recyclable printed magnetoelectronics, which not only enables low-cost high-throughput fabrication of magnetic sensors, but also importantly reduces the environmental burden related to electronic wastes.

Operando magnetometry shows evolution of paramagnetism FeOOH in LIBs: rising/falling magnetism from superparamagnetism Fe reduction/interfacial space-charge storage (reversible extra capacity) during discharge, which is reversed during charge.

This work presents a mechanically strong and highly Li⁺-conductive gel electrolyte featuring thermally induced electrode wetting and healing, which holds great promise in solid-state lithium-metal batteries and other flexible and wearable devices.

Theoretical calculation reveals that the additive (BiI₃) changes the local solvation shell dynamics and improves the Na ion kinetics by reducing binding energy. In addition, the formation of an alloy interphase realizes a dendrite-free deposition.

Benefiting from the dual design of electrodes and electrolytes, a flexible symmetric micro-supercapacitor device has been assembled to achieve a high areal energy density.

Stretching the performance of ultra-large MoS₂ monolayers for electrochemical hydrogen generation – flexible and stretchable gold electrodes were fabricated to tune the reactivity of MoS₂ monolayers.

The synergistic effect of abundant mesopore distribution and nitrogen doping enables 2D crumpled nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets as anode materials for Li-ion capacitors with large capacitive-capacities and ultrahigh rate performance.

The 3D CoS₂–Co(OH)F/CC skeleton suppresses Li dendrite growth.

An eye-wearable Ti₃C₂T_x MXene-based micro-supercapacitor was fabricated on a soft hemispherical substrate, which can be used as an efficient power unit for intraocular pressure applications.

The Na⁺ reaction kinetics of hard carbon can be enhanced by improving its wettability through pore-size tuning. The optimized carbonaceous anodes with an average pore size of 6.1 nm exhibited the most enhanced Na⁺ storage capability.

A novel cathode material, CrV_2.7O_4.36·2.85H₂O/CNT-rGO, composited with a CNT and rGO framework was developed. The flexible battery assembled with it still has stable electrochemical performance under different folding states.

A highly stretchable GR/TPU strain sensor is fabricated based on one-step electrospun fibrous yarns for wearable devices.

A dual-function strategy is proposed that uses sodium ascorbate to modify Ti₃C₂T_x MXene for flexible and free-standing electrodes for capacitive deionization, enhancing its oxidation resistance and salt adsorption capacity.

A Co-based current collector with high conductivity and light weight can improve the conductivity and battery performance of flexible electrodes.

Freestanding CoP/CoN heterostructure electrocatalysts for zinc–air batteries and water splitting, and the catalytic mechanism was verified based on DFT and experiments.

First time dual-mode mechanoluminescence in fluoride glass ceramics, transitioning from rigid to flexible media for versatile mechanical sensing.

TiN can optimize the conductivity of MnO₂, while reducing Zn²⁺ diffusion barrier and improve the rate performance. The lower formation energy of Zn²⁺ insertion endows a capacity retention of 101.6% over 2300 cycles for the TiN@MnO₂ NWAs/CC.