Traditional aqueous electrolyte systems in zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) often face challenges such as sluggish ion transfer kinetics, dendrite formation, and sudden battery failures in harsh temperature environments. Herein, we introduce a pioneering approach by integrating a bifunctional additive composed of ethylene glycol (EG) and sodium gluconate (Ga) into ZnSO₄ (ZSO) electrolyte to overcome these obstacles. The polyhydroxy structures of EG and Ga can reconstruct the hydrogen bond network of H₂O to improve its liquid stability, and also adjust the coordination environment around hydrated Zn²⁺. Additionally, Ga in the H₂O–EG mixture leads to the formation of a robust protective layer that promotes uniform deposition of Zn²⁺ ions and minimizes unwanted side reactions. Therefore, Zn anodes with 40% ZSO–Ga electrolyte can cycle for more than 3,000 h at 25 °C and 800 h at 50 °C. Furthermore, Zn||NH₄V₄O₁₀ (NVO) full batteries demonstrate remarkable cycle stability, lasting up to 10,000 cycles at 1 A g⁻¹ with a capacity retention of 79.1%. The multifunctional electrolyte additive employed in this study emerges as a promising candidate for enabling highly stable zinc anodes under diverse temperature conditions.

The non-noble metal (Fe, Co, Ni, etc.) catalysts possess promising potential to replace noble metals (e.g., Pt, Ru, Ir, etc.) as catalysts for oxygen electrocatalysis. Up to now, various mono- and dual-single-atom catalysts have been fabricated, though it is still challenging to synthesise ternary single-atom catalysts due to the difference of interaction forces between different metal ions (Fe, Co, Ni, etc.) and ligands. Here, we report a Fe-Co-Ni ternary single-atom catalyst (FeCoNi-N_x) derived from a zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIF) precursor as an efficient oxygen electrocatalyst, and an optimised flexible casting-drying polyvinyl alcohol (CD-PVA) film as a quasi-solid electrolyte host, for high-efficiency solid-state Zn-air batteries. The aberration-corrected HAADF-STEM and EELS spectrum confirm the co-existence of Fe, Co and Ni single atoms in the FeCoNi-N_x catalyst, and the electrochemical, mechanical, and durability tests prove the superiority of the CD-PVA film. As a result, the FeCoNi-N_x-based rechargeable Zn-air battery delivers superior specific capacity (846.8 mAh·g_Zn^–1) and power density (135 mW·cm^–2) in aqueous electrolyte, as well as an over 60 mW·cm^–2 power density in quasi-solid electrolyte. As a result, the quasi-solid-state Zn-air battery with a small area of only 2 cm² is able to charge a mobile phone, which outperforms all the reported devices to date.

While lithium resources are scarce for high energy-dense lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), serving as an alternative, inherently suffer from low capacity and the high-cost use of non-graphite anodes. Combining Li- and Na-ions within a single battery system is expected to mitigate the shortcomings of both systems while leveraging their respective advantages. In this study, we developed and assembled a nanodiamonds (NDs)-assisted co-Li/Na-ion battery (ND–LSIB). This innovative battery system comprised a commercial graphite anode, an ND-modified polypropylene (DPP) separator, a hybrid lithium/sodium-based electrolyte, and a cathode. It is theoretically and experimentally demonstrated that the ND/Li co-insertion can serve as an ion-drill opening graphite layers and reconstructing graphite anodes into few-layered graphene with expanding interlayer space, achieving highly efficient Li/Na storage and the theoretical maximum of LiC₆ for Li storage in graphite. In addition, ND is helpful for creating a LiF-/NaF-rich hybrid solid electrolyte interface with improved ionic mobility, mechanical strength, and reversibility. Consequently, ND–LSIBs have higher specific capacities ~1.4 times the theoretical value of LIBs and show long-term cycling stability. This study proposes and realizes the concept of Li/Na co-storage in one ion battery with compatible high-performance, cost-effectiveness, and industrial prospects.

The paper discusses the progress and commercialization of binders for energy storage applications, such as batteries. It explains the role of binders in holding together active materials and current collectors, and highlights the challenges associated with conventional organic solvents in binders. The potential of aqueous binders is introduced as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative. The advantages and limitations of different types of binders are discussed, and the importance of binder selection for optimal battery performance is emphasized. The current state of commercialization of binders is reviewed, and the need for collaboration between researchers, manufacturers, and policymakers to develop and promote environmentally friendly and cost-effective binders is emphasized. The paper concludes by outlining future directions for research and development to further improve the performance and commercialization of binders, while addressing limitations such as lack of standardization, high cost, and long-term stability and reliability.

The development of low-cost, robust and efficient non-noble metal electrocatalysts is still a pursuit for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, a self-standing electrocatalyst, Ni₂P/CoP nanosheet, was fabricated directly on three-dimensional Ni foams by two facile steps, which illustrated both high activity and stability for HER in different electrolytes. Benefiting from the porous structures of nanosheets with large specific surface area and the hybrid Ni₂P/CoP, the as-prepared electrocatalyst presented remarkable HER with overpotentials of 65.2 and 87.8 mV to reach a current density of −10 mA cm⁻² in neutral and alkaline media, respectively. Density function theory calculations revealed a lower activation energy of water dissociation and efficient HER steps of hybrid Ni₂P/CoP nanosheets compared with mono CoP. The self-standing electrocatalyst maintained excellent chemical stability. Additionally, the HER process in domestic wastewater was realized with more impressive performance by using Ni₂P/CoP nanosheets compared with commercial Pt/C. Hydrogen was continuously generated for 20 h in mildly alkaline dishwashing wastewater. This work provides a feasible way to fabricate non-noble metal and self-standing hybrid bimetallic phosphides for HER in neutral and alkaline media, showing great potential for efficient hydrogen production by re-utilizing wastewater resources.