Grid-scale energy storage systems are urgently needed to increase the flexibility and rigidity of the grid for modern society and take full advantage of the renewable green energy resources such as solar energy and wind energy. Na-ion batteries (NIBs) and K-ion batteries (KIBs) have been emerged as one of the...
Electrochemical capacitors and batteries are two major electrochemical energy storage technologies, which have been investigated extensively to meet the rapidly-growing demand for higher energy, higher power, lower cost and enhanced safety in the past few decades. With the charge storage mechanism of electrostatic charge adsorption desorption via electrical double layers,...
The demand for the development of sustainable energy is an all time high as we burn through limited fossil fuel reserves and as environmental concerns rise every year. Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power have limitations due to inconsistent power supply that cannot meet the regular needs...
Widespread installation of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, has been delayed by the lack of suitable stationary energy storage solutions. Current large-scale technologies, such as pumped hydro and compressed air, are geographically restricted. This is where electrochemical energy storage - batteries or hybrid capacitors can play a...
Water is an absolute necessity for life as we know it. It provides a useful medium in which chemical reactions take place that allowed for the development of single cellular organisms. When combined with the evolutionary accident that was pho- tosynthesis, water became not only a useful medium chemical reactions,...
Porous carbon is indispensable in modern technology applications. It is used for energy storage, gas separation, water purification, catalyst support, and chromatography. The diversity of its applications stems from its unique properties, including high specific surface area, tunable pore volume, and chemical stability. Specifically, the large surface area provides high...
Humanities have been craving more freedom and conveniences in whatever form. Carriages evolved to cars and ultimately to aircraft so that one can reach any place in the globe within a day. The mobile phone has enabled people to make a phone call without a need to find a phone...
In the 21st century, environmental deterioration is now an indisputable fact. Reliable and economically viable electricity systems based on renewable sources are urgently needed to replace the environmentally detrimental fossil fuels. The feasibility of incorporating renewable-but-intermittent solar and wind energy heavily depends on the development of cost-effective and safe technologies,...
As scientists, we have an affinity for order: repeating crystal structures, Euclidean space, continuous functions… Even concepts such as defects are discussed in the context of distracting from order. Things are most logical and best described in straightforward, taxonomical fashion. But what happens when the very application desired is dependent...