Existing nanogenerator technologies for harvesting high-power energy from wind encounter significant challenges due to limitations in current output. Here, we propose a rotating-switch triboelectric nanogenerator (RS-TENG) that uses mechanical triggering switches (on-off-on) to enhance the instantaneous current pulses during rotation. The rotating-switch in the proposed device addresses the issue of low instantaneous current output in triboelectric nanogenerators while maintaining voltage stability. At a constant rotational speed, the RS-TENG achieves an instantaneous current of 3.2 times that of its nonswitching counterpart, with an 89% reduction in response time. Furthermore, at a wind speed of 2 m·s⁻¹, the RS-TENG achieves a wind power density of 10.4 mW·m⁻²·m⁻¹·s. Additionally, by integrating the RS-TENG with energy management circuits, the nanogenerator can power wireless signal transmitters and temperature sensors, offering a self-sustaining power solution for remote wireless services. This research presents a promising technology for powering electronic devices in energy-scarce environments.

Calcium-ion batteries have been considered attractive candidates for large-scale energy storage applications due to their natural abundance and low redox potential of Ca²⁺/Ca. However, current calcium ion technology is still hampered by the lack of high-capacity and long-life electrode materials to accommodate the large Ca²⁺ (1.00 Å). Herein, an amorphous vanadium structure induced by Mo doping and in-situ electrochemical activation is reported as a high-rate anode material for calcium ion batteries. The doping of Mo could destroy the lattice stability of VS₄ material, enhancing the flexibility of the structure. The following electrochemical activation further converted the material into sulfide and oxides co-dominated composite (defined as MoVSO), which serves as an active material for the storage of Ca²⁺ during cycling. Consequently, this amorphous vanadium structure exhibits excellent rate capability, achieving discharge capacities of 306.7 and 149.2 mAh g⁻¹ at 5 and 50 A g⁻¹ and an ultra-long cycle life of 2000 cycles with 91.2% capacity retention. These values represent the highest level to date reported for calcium ion batteries. The mechanism studies show that the material undergoes a partial phase transition process to derive MoVSO. This work unveiled the calcium storage mechanism of vanadium sulfide in aqueous electrolytes and accelerated the development of high-performance aqueous calcium ion batteries.

Organosulfur materials containing sulfur–sulfur bonds are an emerging class of high-capacity cathodes for lithium storage. However, it remains a great challenge to achieve rapid conversion reaction kinetics at practical testing conditions of high cathode mass loading and low electrolyte utilization. In this study, a Li-rich pyrolyzed polyacrylonitrile/selenium disulfide (pPAN/Se₂S₃) composite cathode is synthesized by deep lithiation to address the above challenges. The Li-rich molecular structure significantly boosts the lithium storage kinetics by accelerating lithium diffusivity and improving electronic conductivity. Even under practical test conditions requiring a lean electrolyte (Electrolyte/sulfur ratio of 4.1 μL mg⁻¹) and high loading (7 mg cm⁻² of pPAN/Se₂S₃), DL-pPAN/Se₂S₃ exhibits a specific capacity of 558 mAh g⁻¹, maintaining 484 mAh g⁻¹ at the 100th cycle with an average Coulombic efficiency of near 100%. Moreover, it provides (electro)chemically stable Li resources to offset Li consumption over charge–discharge cycles. As a result the as-fabricated anode-free cell shows a superior cycling stability with 90% retention of the initial capacity over 45 cycles. This study provides a novel approach for fabricating high-energy and stable Li–SPAN cells.

The ever-growing pursuit of high energy density batteries has triggered extensive efforts toward developing alkali metal (Li, Na, and K) battery (AMB) technologies owing to high theoretical capacities and low redox potentials of metallic anodes. Typically, for new battery systems, the electrolyte design is critical for realizing the battery electrochemistry of AMBs. Conventional electrolytes in alkali ion batteries are generally unsuitable for sustaining the stability owing to the hyper-reactivity and dendritic growth of alkali metals. In this review, we begin with the fundamentals of AMB electrolytes. Recent advancements in concentrated and fluorinated electrolytes, as well as functional electrolyte additives for boosting the stability of Li metal batteries, are summarized and discussed with a special focus on structure–composition–performance relationships. We then delve into the electrolyte formulations for Na- and K metal batteries, including those in which Na/K do not adhere to the Li-inherited paradigms. Finally, the challenges and the future research needs in advanced electrolytes for AMB are highlighted. This comprehensive review sheds light on the principles for the rational design of promising electrolytes and offers new inspirations for developing stable AMBs with high performance.