Green Synthesis of High-Performance Electrode Materials for Secondary Batteries

The accelerating consumption of non-renewable fossil fuels and the public awareness of environmental protection have been promoting the development of new energy resources and revolutionary energy storage devices. Currently, the commercialized lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are being extensively applied in new-energy automobile industry apart from consumer electronics. The electrochemically active materials in both cathodes and anodes play the key role in the overall energy storage and conversion process. The limited theoretical specific energy density of the electrodes, soaring cost for the raw materials (Li, Co and Ni salts) have become the biggest obstacles for the LIB industry. Therefore, exploring new electrode materials with good cycling stability and large lithium-ion storage capacity are never stopped for LIBs. On the other hand, the emerging secondary batteries, such as sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) etc. are a promising alternative choice for LIBs owing to the richness and low cost of sodium and zinc elements. It is also of great significance to explore high-performance electrode materials for these new-type secondary batteries.

The concept of green synthesis comes from green chemistry. Green chemistry refers to eliminating the use of raw materials, catalysts, solvents and reagents and the generation of wastes that are harmful to human health or the environment with chemical technologies and methods, striving to make chemical reactions have "atomic economy" and realize "zero discharge" of wastes. Its goal is to change the traditional chemical production from "pollution first, treatment later" to "eradicate pollution from the source". It is one of the frontier subjects of international chemical science research, and it is a new interdisciplinary subject with clear social needs and scientific objectives. Green synthesis of high-performance electrode materials for the above secondary batteries meets the requirement from the nowadays society and the sustainability from the future world.

We welcome Original Research, Review, Mini Review and Perspective articles on themes including, but not limited to:
•Development of green, low-cost, low-toxic, nontoxic and recycled electrode synthesis techniques for secondary batteries.
•Applications of experimental and theoretical calculation in novel electrochemical active materials in emerging batteries.
•Revealing the working principles of new multi-functional composites in high-performance electrode materials for secondary batteries.
•Development of high-performance electrode materials under extreme conditions for secondary batteries.

Keywords: Green synthesis, Secondary batteries, Electrode materials, Electrochemistry, Sustainability

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