Prof. Xunzhu Zhou | Publications & Academic Profile | SinoGreenTech

Research Publications & English Decoded Briefs

Showing 3 publications

SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3841-6

Synergistic Bulk and Interface Engineering Empowering Exceptional Lithium Storage Performance of Ni-Rich Cathodes

Ni-rich layered oxide cathodes are pivotal candidates for next-generation lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their high capacity and energy density. However, their susceptibility to structural deterioration and interfacial degradation during cycling causes substantial capacity fade, hindering commercialization. This work proposes a synergistic strategy of lattice doping and in situ surface coating to enhance structural integrity and interfacial stability of LiNi0.9Co0.05Mn0.05O2. La and Y dopants act as pillars to reinforce the layered structure, mitigating volume changes and expanding c-axis spacing to facilitate Li+ diffusion. Concurrently, La4NiLiO8 and LiYO2 coatings protect the cathode from H2O/CO2 corrosion and electrolyte attack, while their high lithium-ion conductivity promotes Li+ transport. The modified cathode delivers exceptional electrochemical metrics: high specific capacity of 207.3 mA h g−1, remarkable cycling stability with 97.6% retention after 100 cycles, superior rate capability of 152.1 mA h g−1 at 10.0 C, and enhanced thermal stability. This work establishes a paradigm for multi-dimensional stabilization of Ni-rich cathodes via synergistic bulk and interface engineering, providing insights for designing high-performance energy storage systems.

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SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-025-3949-4

A self-supported sodiophilic 3D Enteromorpha prolifera-derived carbon matrix enables dendrite-free sodium metal anodes

Sodium metal is considered an ideal anode material for high-performance sodium-based batteries. However, volume changes and dendrite growth during cycling seriously restrict its practical application. To address these challenges, this study utilizes harmful green tide algae Enteromorpha prolifera as a raw material to fabricate a self-supporting, sodiophilic, 3D Enteromorpha prolifera-derived carbon (EC) matrix via defect engineering. The results demonstrate that the 3D EC matrix can reduce nucleation overpotential, enhance binding ability with sodium atoms, and induce sodium to deposit horizontally inside EC, effectively addressing the issue of dendrite formation. Furthermore, the Na-EC symmetric cell demonstrates exceptional cycling stability with an ultralow polarization of 12 mV over 1000 h at 5 mA cm−2, 5 mA h cm−2. Notably, this stability persists even under ultrahigh current density and areal capacity conditions (30 mA cm−2, 30 mA h cm−2), maintaining stable operation for 500 h. When configured in full-cell systems with Na3V2(PO4)3 cathode, the assembled cell delivers an initial discharge capacity of 108.1 mA h g−1 at a 1 C rate, and maintains a capacity retention rate of 94.4% after 500 cycles. This study proposes an innovative strategy to advance high-performance dendrite-free sodium metal batteries through the recycling of marine environmental waste into functional energy materials.

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SCIENCE CHINA Materials•2026•DOI: 10.1007/s40843-026-4188-x

Synergistic regulation of bottom-up sodium deposition via sodiophilicity and electric field dual gradients for long-cycle sodium metal batteries

Sodium metal anodes, with high theoretical capacity (1166 mAh g−1) and low redox potential (−2.71 V vs. H+/H2), are promising for low-cost, high-energy sodium metal batteries (SMBs). However, uncontrolled dendrite growth and drastic volume changes cause short circuits and safety hazards. This work presents a dual-gradient engineering strategy to address these issues. A 3D self-supporting current collector (SSM-ZnS@Zn) was fabricated by laminating a stainless steel mesh (SSM) with a Zn foil decorated with pre-grown ZnS nanoparticles via a one-step rolling process. The substantial electrical conductivity difference between the bottom zinc foil (~16.6×10^6 S m−1) and the top SSM (~1.3×10^6 S m−1) establishes an electric field gradient. Simultaneously, a sodiophilicity gradient is created by electrochemically in-situ generated sodiophilic NaZn13 and Na2S on the bottom zinc foil, combined with the sodiophobic upper SSM layer. This dual-gradient synergy guides bottom-up sodium deposition, homogenizes current density and electric potential, and reinforces mechanical robustness. The framework exhibits outstanding electrochemical performance in both symmetric and full cells, outperforming most reported 3D structures. A pouch cell assembled with SSM-ZnS@Zn successfully lit an LED lamp, demonstrating practical application potential. This strategy surpasses single-gradient limitations and offers a new approach for high-performance sodium metal anode design.

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