Energy Storage MaterialsPub Date : 2026-08-01Epub Date: 2026-07-12DOI: 10.1016/j.ensm.2026.105385
Yicheng Sun, Rui Wu, Shipeng Zhang, Nan Li, Keyu Xie
{"title":"Multiscale characterizations boosting understanding of gassing behavior in rechargeable batteries: Progress and outlook","authors":"Yicheng Sun, Rui Wu, Shipeng Zhang, Nan Li, Keyu Xie","doi":"10.1016/j.ensm.2026.105385","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ensm.2026.105385","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Gas evolution caused by parasitic reactions, together with the subsequent migration, consumption, and accumulation of gaseous products, severely affects the performance, lifetime, and safety of rechargeable lithium/sodium (Li/Na) batteries. Advanced characterization techniques allow for probing the mechanisms and impacts of these gas-related processes, thereby providing a substantive understanding of gassing behavior. As these techniques continue to develop, new insights will undoubtedly emerge. Herein, from the perspective of advanced characterization techniques, including both online gas analysis and gas visualization, gassing behavior in rechargeable Li/Na batteries is comprehensively reviewed. Gas analysis is presented according to the dominant driving force of gas evolution. For voltage-driven gas evolution, battery-level online gas analysis techniques are discussed, with emphasis on the mechanistic insights obtained from isotope labeling and the decoupling of gas evolution reactions at individual electrodes. For thermal-driven gas evolution, gas release and crosstalk mechanisms during thermal runaway are elucidated based on material-level gas analysis. In parallel, the principles of gas visualization at both the interface and battery scales are summarized, together with insights into the dynamic behavior of gaseous products. Finally, remaining challenges and future directions in gas-related characterizations are outlined. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the overall gassing behavior in rechargeable Li/Na batteries, thereby advancing their safe and stable operation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":306,"journal":{"name":"Energy Storage Materials","volume":"90 ","pages":"Article 105385"},"PeriodicalIF":19.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148461385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Energy Storage MaterialsPub Date : 2026-08-01Epub Date: 2026-07-12DOI: 10.1016/j.ensm.2026.105383
Dixian Wu, Jicheng Li, Qiang Zheng, Xingyi Shi
{"title":"Recent advances in electrolyte additives for zinc flow batteries: Mechanisms, applications, and perspectives","authors":"Dixian Wu, Jicheng Li, Qiang Zheng, Xingyi Shi","doi":"10.1016/j.ensm.2026.105383","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ensm.2026.105383","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Zinc flow batteries (ZFBs) are considered as a leading candidate for scalable electrochemical energy storage, combining high energy density, intrinsic safety, and cost-effectiveness. Nevertheless, their widespread commercialization progress is still being greatly hindered by persistent challenges, including active species crossover, metal-ion hydrolysis, and zinc dendrite formation. To address these limitations, extensive research has targeted advancements in key components, such as electrolytes, membranes, and electrodes. Among these strategies, electrolyte optimization via additive engineering has gained particular attraction, owing to its simplicity, low cost, and ease of implementation. This review critically outlines the fundamental challenges in various ZFB systems, provides a comprehensive summary of diverse electrolyte additives and their effects on battery performance enhancements, as well as elucidates the underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, evaluation and characterization techniques for these additives are systematically summarized. Finally, a forward-looking perspective on the additive development has been provided, with the aim of informing the rational design of next-generation ZFBs with enhanced stability and performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":306,"journal":{"name":"Energy Storage Materials","volume":"90 ","pages":"Article 105383"},"PeriodicalIF":19.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148461390","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dualistic roles of water molecules in Mn-based oxide cathodes for sodium ion batteries","authors":"Yaping Yan, Xin-Bei Jia, Junlong Sun, Dan-Dan Wang, Rui-Zi Li, Lu-Lu Guo, Yan-Fang Zhu, Shilin Zhang, Yao Xiao","doi":"10.1016/j.ensm.2026.105429","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ensm.2026.105429","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Water molecules are traditionally regarded as detrimental impurities in sodium manganese (Mn)-based oxide cathodes, as they can trigger Na<sup>⁺</sup>/H<sup>⁺</sup> exchange, surface side reactions, transition-metal dissolution, and irreversible structural degradation. However, emerging studies reveal that judiciously incorporated into the crystal framework, water molecules can exert beneficial effects by functioning as electrostatic shields and structural pillars, thereby mitigating lattice strain, suppressing Mn dissolution, and facilitating Na<sup>+</sup> diffusion. In this review, we systematically evaluate the dualistic roles of water molecules in sodium Mn-based oxide cathodes. We begin by summarizing the widely reported degradation mechanisms induced by water, and then highlight recent advances showing that certain water species, particularly crystal/lattice water, can enhance structural robustness, ion-transport kinetics and electrochemical performance. Finally, we discuss the broader implications of water chemistry in rechargeable batteries and outline key challenges and future directions for state-selective water regulation, including multimodal characterization, theoretical modeling, and process-level control. This review establishes a balanced framework for understanding water-involved structural and electrochemical effects and provides guidance for future water regulation in next-generation Mn-based cathodes and related rechargeable battery systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":306,"journal":{"name":"Energy Storage Materials","volume":"90 ","pages":"Article 105429"},"PeriodicalIF":19.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148692048","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mustafa Khan, Rizwana, Liyuan Qian, Zhiqian Lin, Haibin Lin, Xiaofei Wang, Songbai Han, Fayan Zhu, Jinlong Zhu, Yusheng Zhao
{"title":"Physicochemical origins of interfacial ion transport in antiperovskite solid electrolytes","authors":"Mustafa Khan, Rizwana, Liyuan Qian, Zhiqian Lin, Haibin Lin, Xiaofei Wang, Songbai Han, Fayan Zhu, Jinlong Zhu, Yusheng Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.ensm.2026.105426","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ensm.2026.105426","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Antiperovskite solid electrolytes are promising candidates for next-generation solid-state batteries because of their high lithium-ion conductivity, tunable defect chemistry, and mechanically compliant lattices. Yet these favorable bulk properties do not directly translate into practical cell performance, which is often limited by interfacial chemical reactivity, transport heterogeneity, and chemo-mechanical degradation. In this review, we present an interface-centered mechanistic framework that links crystal chemistry, defect-mediated transport, lattice dynamics, and mesoscale mechanics to interfacial ion transport in antiperovskite electrolytes. We show that the same characteristics that promote fast bulk lithium transport, including lattice softness, defect distributions, and anion rotational dynamics, can also drive space-charge accumulation, stress localization, and interfacial transport bottlenecks under electrochemical operation. We further examine how grain boundaries, electrode contact evolution, and composite cathode architectures shape interfacial stability and full-cell behavior. Finally, we discuss emerging strategies, including artificial interphases, defect modulation, and coupled chemo-mechanical design, that can convert intrinsic transport advantages into stable and efficient battery operation. This perspective highlights the physicochemical origins of interfacial ion transport and establishes design principles for antiperovskite electrolytes in practical solid-state batteries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":306,"journal":{"name":"Energy Storage Materials","volume":"90 ","pages":"Article 105426"},"PeriodicalIF":19.3,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148736854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}