New Achievements on Novel Energy Storage Materials from Prof. Shiyou Zheng‘s Group

Prof. Shiyou Zheng has scored numerous academic achievements in his research area in the past few years. Recently, He worked with his group to publish pioneering works on solid electrolytes, solid state batteries and ionic supercapacitors.

In the solid electrolyte field, his group developed a novel multi-phase, multi-scale strategy to improve the structure and interfaces of borohydrides as high-performance solid electrolyte. First, his group collaborated with Maryland University and Fudan University, and proposed a nanoconfining and compositing strategy to improve the bulk and interface ionic conductivity of LiBH4, which enabled the stable cycling of all solid state batteries. These works titled with “A High-Performance Li–B–H Electrolyte for All-Solid-State Li Batteries” and “In Situ Formed Li-B-H Complex with High Li-ion Conductivity as a Potential Solid Electrolyte for Li Batteries” were published in top journals: Advanced Functional Materials (2019, 29, 1809219, IF 15.621) and ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2019, 11, 14136, IF 8.456), respectively. Second, his group collaborated with Kyushu University and Anhui University of Technology, and prepared nano-decorated composite electrolyte by in-situ solid state reaction, which significantly enhanced the electrolyte/electrode stability and improved the overall electrochemical performances of all solid state batteries. This work titled with “In Situ Forming LiF Nano-Decorated Electrolyte/Electrode Interfaces for Stable All-Solid-State Batteries”, has been accepted to publish in Materials Today Nano.

Figure1. Preparation process of Li-B-H solid electrolyte and electrochemical properties of assembled solid state Li-S and Li-ion batteries

In the high capacity electrode field, his group employed a solid state prelithiation strategy to prepare novel Li-Al-H nano-composite electrode material. Combined with Li-B-H electrolyte to form all solid batteries, this electrode material exhibited superior electrochemical performances. This work has been published in top journal: Advanced Energy Materials (2020,1902795，IF: 24.884), which is entitled with “Solid-State Prelithiation Enables High-Performance Li-Al-H Anode for Solid-State Batteries”.

Figure 2. Model of all solid state Li-ion batteries with Li-Al-H Anode

In the ionic supercapacitor area, his group collaborated with George Institute of Technology, and developed a three dimensional nano-TiO2/sheared carbon nanotubes composite as electrode material for supercapacitors. This electrode material shows high energy/power densities, good rate combability and superior cycling stability. This work entitled with “Enhanced Ionic/Electronic Transport in Nano-TiO2/Sheared CNT Composite Electrode for Na+ Insertion-based Hybrid Ion-Capacitors” was published in Advanced Functional Materials (2020, 30: 1908309. IF 15.621).

Figure 3. High performance in hybrid ion-capacitors of the designed composite electrode

Relevant key technologies were also applied for Chinese patents and PCT international patents. The above works were founded by National Natural Science Foundation of China, Shanghai Science and Technology Commission and Shanghai Municipal Education Commission etc. The first authors of these works are Associate Prof. Yuepeng Pang, Associate Prof. Tao Yuan and graduate students in Zheng’s group.

A Brief Introduction of Prof.  Shiyou Zheng

Shiyou Zheng, USST professor, doctoral supervisor. His main research area focuses on foundation and applied research of new energy materials. He respectively received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree in Sichuan University, Zhejiang University and Fudan University. Funded by U.S. Department of Commerce, he was appointed as a visiting researcher of NIST who carried out technological cooperation and research in new energy materials. Then he took for the research and development in novel energy storage materials in the University of Maryland. At the end of 2013, he started to work in USST and organized novel energy storage materials and devices team. In the past 5 years, he has chaired 3 general programs of NSFC and more than 10 provincial-level programs such as Shanghai Major Basic Research Program, published nearly 80 papers in international academic journals and applied for nearly 30 patents. He won the first award of 2018 Shanghai Natural Science Award. He was chosen as “Young and Middle-aged Experts with outstanding Experts” in New Century Talents Project, and was conferred upon the title of Leading Talents in Shanghai(2018), Shanghai Outstanding Academic Leaders(2017), Orientalists(2014), and Talents Funded by Pujiang Plan(2014).