Abstract
In recent years, electrochemical energy storage devices, such as supercapacitors, lithium-ion batteries and lithium-sulfur batteries, have been extensively explored in response to the ever- increasing demand for clean energy and climate change mitigation technologies. Carbon materials with different structures and functionalities play a key role in various energy storage devices for use as electrodes, conductive fillers, coating layers, etc. Nanocarbons, including carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene have unique low-dimensional structures, good electrical conductivity, high strength, and desirable chemical stability. Therefore nanocarbons are expected to find extensive and important applications in the field of electrochemical energy storage. The speaker and his research group have fabricated a serious of nanocarbon-based hybrid electrode materials by mechanical mixing, hydrothermal deposition, in-situ growth, or selective filling. These hybrid electrode materials showed desirable electrochemical properties in terms of long cycling life, good high rate capability, and high reversible capacity. The working mechanism of nanocarbons in hybrid electrodes was investigated by an in-situ TEM approach. It was found that nanocarbons take a significant role in forming electrical conductive network and preventing the volume expansion of active materials. The speaker and his research group also designed and developed nanocarbon-based sandwich structure, integrated structure and flexible structure for high-capacity, high-power, long-life and high energy lithium-sulfur batteries. Using graphene and CNTs in flexible energy storage devices is another emerging field, and they have also explored several kinds of nanocarbon-based flexible electrodes. Based on the understanding of electric double layer and tuning electrochemical potential windows, a smart lithium ion capacitor with an extra Li electrode to monitor the operation state and to regenerate its capacity was developed, which can allow a real-time diagnosis of capacity decay, safety control, and self-healing of a degraded capacitor through a feedback system. The smart electrochemical energy storage devices can work as a bridge that connects users and R&D engineers to create a safer and more intelligent electrochemical energy storage future.
About the speaker
Prof Huiming Cheng received his PhD in Materials Science from the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1992 and then joined Nagasaki University as a Research Associate of Engineering. In 1994, he returned to the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences and is currently the Professor. He has also been the Director and Professor of the Advanced Carbon Division of Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science since 2001.
Prof Cheng’s research focuses on synthesis, characterization and applications of carbon nanotubes, graphene and other low-dimensional materials. He also works on the design and synthesis of nanostructured materials for clean energy applications; exploration of photochemically active materials for water-splitting and CO2 conversion and fabrication and applications of high-performance bulk carbon materials such as isotropic pyrolytic carbon and C/C composites.
Prof Cheng was elected the Academician of Asia-Pacific Academy of Materials and Chinese Academy of Sciences, both in 2013. He was also elected the Fellow of the World Academy of Sciences in 2014. He received numerous awards including the 2nd class Chinese National Natural Science Award (Synthesis and Study of Single-Walled and Double-Walled Carbon Nanotubes) (2006); the Charles E. Pettinos Award by the American Carbon Society (2010) and Award for Scientific and Technological Progress (2nd class) of Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (2012).
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