Interacción proteína-proteína

The study of RT-Na/S batteries is still in its infancy when compared with Li-S batteries; therefore, inspiration from Li-S batteries would be a wise choice. Much attention should be paid to enhancing the conductivity and reactivity of S, and preventing the ‘shuttle effect’ phenomenon. In this work, various S hosts, including the S nanosheets, atomic cobalt decorated hollow carbon nanospheres, and metal nanoclusters decorated on hollow carbon nanospheres, showed excellent electrochemical performance.

On the basis of the above-mentioned work, the S morphology and the atomic metal and metal nanocluster decorated S hosts represent the most promising strategies to construct S composite cathodes to obtain better performance of RT-Na/S batteries. Firstly, the S morphology could effectively enhance the electrochemical performance of S. Through controlling S morphology, it is possible to expose more highly active sites of sulfur, which will exhibit high activity with sodium. Thus, the highly active S will quickly react with sodium, leading ultimately to the formation of the final product Na2S, which would achieve excellent reversible capacity in RT-Na/S

batteries. Secondly, one of the most efficient ways to prevent the “shuttle effect” is the sodiation of long-chain polysulfides are rapidly into short-chain sulfides. The atomic scale metal and metal nanoclusters will be able to catalyse sodium polysulfides into short-chain sulfides, thus hindering the dissolution of polysulfides. Through transforming the polysulfides into short-chain sulfides, these sulfur- composite cathodes would deliver both high reversible capacity and high rate performance. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that the mechanism behind this electrocatalytic behaviour is still unknown, which means that further investigation is

definitely needed on ‘electrocatalysis’ in RT-Na/S batteries. Finally, it is meaningful to explore and extend the application of the sulfur morphology and “electrocatalysis” in RT-Na/S batteries. It should be noted that this “electrocatalysis” concept may also have the potential for use in other types of batteries.

Generally, exploring the sulfur morphology and “electrocatalysis” will boost the practical application of RT-Na/S batteries. Meanwhile, a deep understanding of the mechanism behind this electrocatalytic behavior could help us to rationally design this new class of S host materials.

Appendix A: Publications

1, Bin-Wei Zhang, Tian Sheng, Yun-Dan Liu, Yun-Xiao Wang, Lei Zhang, Wei- Hong Lai, Li Wang, Jianping Yang, Qin-Fen Gu, Shu-Lei Chou, Hua-Kun Liu, Shi- Xue Dou, Atomic cobalt as an efficient electrocatalyst in sulfur cathodes for superior room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries, Nature Communications, 2018, 9, 4082. IF = 12.35

2, Bin-Wei Zhang, Tian Sheng, Yun-Xiao Wang, Shulei Chou, Kenneth Davey, Shi- Xue Dou and Shi-Zhang Qiao, Long-life room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries by virtue of transition metal nanocluster-sulfur interactions, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2019, 58, 1484. IF=12.10.

3, Bin‐Wei Zhang, Hui Ling Yang, Yun Xiao Wang, Shi Xue Dou, Hua Kun Liu, A Comprehensive Review on Controlling Surface Composition of Pt‐Based Bimetallic Electrocatalysts, Advanced Energy Materials, 2018, 8, 1703597. IF = 21.88

4, Bin-Wei Zhang, Long Ren, Yun-Xiao Wang, Yi Du, Lei Jiang, Shi-Xue Dou, New monatomic layer clusters for advanced catalysis materials, Science China Materials, 2018. IF = 4.318

5, Bin-Wei Zhang, Yun-Dan Liu, Yun-Xiao Wang, Lei Zhang, Ming-Zhe Chen, Wei-Hong Lai, Shu-Lei Chou, Hua-Kun Liu, Shi-Xue Dou, In Situ Grown S Nanosheets on Cu Foam: An Ultrahigh Electroactive Cathode for Room- Temperature Na–S Batteries, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2017, 9, 29, 24446-24450. IF = 8.097

6, Bin-Wei Zhang, Tian Sheng, Yun-Xiao Wang, Xi-Ming Qu, Jun-Ming Zhang, Zong-Cheng Zhang, Hong-Gang Liao, Fu-Chun Zhu, Shi-Xue Dou, Yan-Xia Jiang,

Shi-Gang Sun, Platinum–cobalt bimetallic nanoparticles with Pt skin for electro- oxidation of ethanol, ACS Catalysis, 2017, 7, 1, 892-895. IF = 11.384

7, Bin-Wei Zhang, Yunxiao Wang, Yanfei Xu, Huakun Liu, Shixue Dou, Designing Pt-Skin of Pt-Based Bimetallic Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction, Journal of Electrochemistry, 2017, 23, 102.

8, Bin-Wei Zhang, Tian Sheng, Xi-Ming Qu, Yun-Xiao Wang, Long Ren, Lei Zhang, Yi Du, Yan-Xia Jiang, Shi-Gang Sun, and Shi-Xue Dou, Ordered Platinum- Bismuth Intermetallic Clusters with Pt-skin for High Efficient Electrochemical Ethanol Oxidation Reaction , Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2019, 7, 5214. IF = 9.931

9, Bin-Wei Zhang, Yun-Xiao Wang, Shu-Lei Chou, Hua-Kun Liu, and Shi-Xue Dou, Fabrication for superior single atom catalysts towards diverse electrochemical reactions, Small Methods, 2019, 1800497.

10, Yun Xiao Wang, Bin-Wei Zhang, Weihong Lai, Yanfei Xu, Shu Lei Chou, Hua Kun Liu, Shi Xue Dou, Room‐Temperature Sodium‐Sulfur Batteries: A Comprehensive Review on Research Progress and Cell Chemistry, Advanced Energy Materials, 2017, 7, 1602829. IF = 21.88

11. Lei Zhang, Bin-Wei Zhang, Yuhai Dou, Yunxiao Wang, Mohammad Al- Mamun, Xianluo Hu, Huakun Liu, Self-Assembling Hollow Carbon Nanobeads into Double-Shell Microspheres as a Hierarchical Sulfur Host for Sustainable Room- Temperature Sodium–Sulfur Batteries,, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2018, 10, 24, 20422-20428. IF = 8.097

12. Lei Zhang, Xiaoxiao Liu, Yuhai Dou, Bin-Wei Zhang, Huiling Yang, Shixue Dou, Huakun Liu, Yunhui Huang, Xianluo Hu, Mass Production and Pore Size

Control of Holey Carbon Microcages, High Power Na-Ion Batteries, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2017,56,13790–13794. IF = 12.10

13. Mingzhe Chen, Lingna Chen, Zhe Hu, Qiannan Liu, Bin-Wei Zhang, Yuxiang Hu, Qinfen Gu, Jian‐Li Wang, Lian‐Zhou Wang, Xiaodong Guo, Shu‐Lei Chou, Shi‐ Xue Dou, Carbon‐Coated Na3.32Fe2.34(P2O7)2 Cathode Material for High‐Rate and Long‐Life Sodium‐Ion Batteries, Advanced Materials, 2017, 29, 1605535. IF = 21.95

14, Lei Zhang, Yuhai Dou, Haipeng Guo, Bin-Wei Zhang, Xiaoxiao Liu, Min Wan, Weijie Li, Xianluo Hu, Shixue Dou, Yunhui Huang, Huakun Liu, A facile way to fabricate double-shell pomegranate-like porous carbon microspheres for high- performance Li-ion batteries, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2017, 5, 12073- 12079. IF = 9.931

15, Wei Luo, Dengke Shen, Renyuan Zhang, Bin-Wei Zhang, Yunxiao Wang, Shi Xue Dou, Hua Kun Liu, Jianping Yang, Germanium Nanograin Decoration on Carbon Shell: Boosting Lithium‐Storage Properties of Silicon Nanoparticles, Advanced Functional Material, 2016, 26, 7800–7806. IF = 13.325

Appendix B: Conferences & Activities

1. The 2016 International Symposium on Next-Generation Batteries, North Wollongong, Australia, Aug. 9th _{to 12}th_{, 2016.}

2. The 19th _{International Meeting on Lithium Batteries, Kyoto International}

Appendix C: Scholarships & Awards

1. 2016-2019: University Postgraduate Award, UOW.

2. 2016-2019: Faulty Scholarship & International Postgraduate Tuition Award, UOW.