Table of Contents

Chapter 1　Introduction 001
1.1　Brief introduction to world energy consumption 001
1.2　History of various new energy materials and devices 006
1.2.1　Batteries 006
1.2.2　Supercapacitors 008
1.2.3　Fuel cells 009
1.2.4　Solar cells 010
1.2.5　Biomass energy 012
1.2.6　Nuclear energy 012
1.3　Principles of various new energy materials and devices 013
1.3.1　Principles of metal-ion secondary batteries 013
1.3.2　Principles of other secondary batteries 014
1.3.3　Principles of fuel cells 015
1.3.4　Principles of supercapacitors 017
1.3.5　Principles of solar cells 017
1.3.6　Principles of solar-to-hydrogen 018
1.3.7　Principles of biomass energy 019
1.3.8　Principles of nuclear energy 019
1.4　Some requirements for various new energy materials and devices 020
1.4.1　Requirements for lithium secondary batteries 020
1.4.2　Requirements of other secondary batteries 020
1.4.3　Requirements of fuel cells 022
1.4.4　Requirements of supercapacitors 023
1.4.5　Requirements of solar cells 023
1.4.6　Requirements of solar-to-hydrogen conversion 023
1.4.7　Requirements of biomass energy 024
1.4.8　Requirements of nuclear energy 024
1.5　About this book 024
References 025

Chapter 2　Lithium secondary batteries 028
2.1　Positive electrode materials for LIBs 029
2.1.1　LiCoO2-based positive electrode materials 030
2.1.2　LiNiO2-based positive electrode materials 031
2.1.3　LiMn2O4-based positive electrode materials 032
2.1.4　LiFePO4-based positive electrode materials 034
2.1.5　LiNi1-x-yCoxMnyO2 (NCM) positive electrode materials 034
2.2　Negative electrode materials for LIBs 036
2.2.1　Graphite 036
2.2.2　Si-based materials 038
2.2.3　Titanium oxides 038
2.3　Electrolytes for LIBs 039
2.3.1　Liquid electrolytes 040
2.3.2　Solid electrolytes 043
2.4　Separators for LIBs 045
2.4.1　The functions and characteristics of the separator 045
2.4.2　Separator types 046
2.4.3　Separator preparation methods 047
2.5　Aqueous rechargeable lithium batteries 049
2.5.1　First generation aqueous rechargeable lithium batteries 050
2.5.2　Second generation aqueous rechargeable lithium batteries 051
2.5.3　Third generation aqueous rechargeable lithium batteries 052
2.5.4　Side-reactions with H2O and O2 in an electrolyte 053
2.5.5　Water-in-salt aqueous rechargeable lithium batteries 054
2.6　Li-sulfur batteries 054
2.6.1　Principles of Li-sulfur batteries 055
2.6.2　Sulfur positive electrodes 056
2.6.3　Electrolytes for Li-sulfur batteries 056
2.7　Li-air batteries 057
2.7.1　Water-based lithium-air batteries 059
2.7.2　Organic lithium-air batteries 059
2.7.3　Water-organic two-liquid system lithium-air batteries 059
2.7.4　Solid-state lithium-air batteries 060
2.7.5　Ionic liquid system lithium-air batteries 060
References 060

Chapter 3　Other secondary batteries 065
3.1　Redox flow batteries 065
3.1.1　Polysulfide bromide battery (PSB) 068
3.1.2　ZNBR battery 068
3.1.3　Vanadium redox flow battery (VFB) 069
3.2　Na-S battery 070
3.2.1　Principle of operation 070
3.2.2　The configuration of the NAS battery 072
3.2.3　NAS battery features 073
3.2.4　Composition and crystalline structure of b-alumina 074
3.2.5　Challenges of NAS batteries 075
3.3　Other metal-air batteries 075
References 079

Chapter 4　Fuel cells 082
4.1　Introduction 082
4.1.1　Some history 082
4.1.2　Ordinary fuel cells 083
4.1.3　Advantages and disadvantages of fuel cells 084
4.1.4　Types of fuel cells 087
4.2　Fuel cell thermodynamics 095
4.2.1　How a basic fuel cell works 095
4.2.2　Fuel cell performance 095
4.2.3　Fuel cell internal energy 097
4.2.4　First law of thermodynamics 097
4.2.5　The second law of thermodynamics 098
4.2.6　What are thermodynamic potential and enthalpy 098
4.2.7　The calculation of reaction enthalpy 100
4.2.8　The Gibbs free energy 100
4.2.9　Factors influencing reversible voltage and calculation 101
4.2.10　Ideal fuel cell efficiency and actual fuel cell efficiency 103
4.3　Fuel cell reaction kinetics 104
4.3.1　Current basic physical quantity calculation 104
4.3.2　Calculation of reaction rate 105
4.3.3　Tiffier equation 105
4.3.4　Responsive charge transfer 106
4.3.5　Charge transfer can cause voltage loss 107
4.3.6　The physical significance of conductivity 108
4.4　Fuel cell systems 108
4.4.1　General description of fuel cell systems 108
4.4.2　Fuel cell stack 109
4.4.3　Fuel transfer processing subsystem 110
4.4.4　Power transmission subsystem 111
4.4.5　Fuel cell design levels: the unit cell, the stack, and the system 112
4.5　Fuel cell based power systems 115
4.5.1　Hybrid fuel cell power system 115
4.5.2　Standalone fuel cell power system 116
4.5.3　Grid connected fuel cell power systems 116
4.6　Applications of fuel cells 117
4.6.1　Fuel cell vehicles 117
4.6.2　Telecommunications 118
4.6.3　Underwater vehicles 118
4.6.4　Future targets 118
4.7　Conclusion 119
References 119

Chapter 5　Supercapacitors 123
5.1　Introduction 123
5.2　Charge storage mechanism of supercapacitors 124
5.2.1　Electrochemical double-layer capacitors 124
5.2.2　Pseudocapacitors 127
5.2.3　Hybrid capacitor devices 128
5.3　Electrolytes 129
5.3.1　Aqueous electrolytes 131
5.3.2　Organic electrolytes 132
5.3.3　Ionic-liquid-based electrolytes 135
5.3.4　Solid- and quasi-solid-state electrolytes 135
5.4　Electrode materials for EDLCs 137
5.4.1　Carbon materials with different-scaled pores 137
5.4.2　Activated carbons (ACs) 138
5.4.3　Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) 139
5.4.4　Graphene-based electrode materials 140
5.4.5　Other carbon structures 142
5.5　Electrode materials for pseudocapacitors 143
5.5.1　Noble metal oxides 143
5.5.2　Transition metal oxides and hydroxides 145
5.5.3　Conducting polymers (CPs) 146
5.6　Hybrid capacitors 149
5.6.1　Acidic HCs 149
5.6.2　Alkaline HCs 149
5.6.3　Lithium-ion capacitors 150
5.6.4　Sodium-ion capacitors 151
5.7　Supercapacitor performance 153
5.8　Applications of supercapacitors 154
References 155