Publications by Kangning Zhao | EPFL Graph Search

Non-van-der-Waals Oriented Two-Dimensional UiO-66 Films by Rapid Aqueous Synthesis at Room Temperature

Wendy Lee Queen, Kumar Varoon Agrawal, Heng-Yu Chi, Qi Liu, Kuang-Jung Hsu, Kangning Zhao, Shuqing Song, Ranadip Goswami

The synthesis of MOFs in a two-dimensional (2D) film morphology is attractive for several applications including molecular and ionic separation. However, 2D MOFs have only been reported from structures that crystallize in lamellar morphology, where layers ...

2025

Flexible free-standing Fe-CoP-NAs/CC nanoarrays for high-performance full lithium-ion batteries

Chen Huang, Kangning Zhao

In this study, a flexible, free-standing Fe -doped CoP nanoarrays electrode for superior lithium -ion storage has been successfully fabricated. The electrode combines the advantages of a Fe -doping and a flexible carbon cloth (CC) support, resulting in a h ...

Academic Press Inc Elsevier Science2024

A pre-fatigue training strategy to stabilize LiCoO2 at high voltage

Lei Zhang, Rui Xia, Kangning Zhao

Layered cathodes are among the most promising cathodes for high-energy-density Li-ion batteries, yet hindered by the structural degradation from both bulk strain and surface oxygen loss at high voltage (above 4.5 V). Herein, we report a pre-fatigue trainin ...

Royal Soc Chemistry2024

Cation reactivity inhibits perovskite degradation in efficient and stable solar modules

Keith Gregory Brooks, Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin, Paul Joseph Dyson, Kangning Zhao, Roland Christopher Turnell-Ritson

Perovskite solar modules (PSMs) show outstanding power conversion efficiencies (PCEs), but long-term operational stability remains problematic. We show that incorporating N,N-dimethylmethyleneiminium chloride into the perovskite precursor solution formed d ...

2024

Dynamic Behavior of Spatially Confined Sn Clusters and Its Application in Highly Efficient Sodium Storage with High Initial Coulombic Efficiency

Xu Xu, Kumar Varoon Agrawal, Lei Zhang, Kangning Zhao

Advanced battery electrodes require a cautious design of microscale particles with built-in nanoscale features to exploit the advantages of both micro- and nano-particles relative to their performance attributes. Herein, the dynamic behavior of nanosized S ...

Wiley-V C H Verlag Gmbh2024

Advancing Molecular Sieving via Å-Scale Pore Tuning in Bottom-Up Graphene Synthesis

Mounir Driss Mensi, Kumar Varoon Agrawal, Heng-Yu Chi, Kangning Zhao, Cédric Karel J Van Goethem

Porous graphene films are attractive as a gas separation membrane given that the selective layer can be just one atom thick, allowing high-flux separation. A favorable aspect of porous graphene is that the pore size, essentially gaps created by lattice def ...

Amer Chemical Soc2024

Artificial Hydrophilic Organic and Dendrite-Suppressed Inorganic Hybrid Solid Electrolyte Interface Layer for Highly Stable Zinc Anodes

Lei Zhang, Kangning Zhao

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have gained significant attentions for their inherent safety and cost-effectiveness. However, challenges, such as dendrite growth and anodic corrosion at the Zn anode, hinder their commercial viability. In this paper, an ...

Amer Chemical Soc2024

Electrochemical-repaired porous graphene membranes for precise ion-ion separation

Kumar Varoon Agrawal, Heng-Yu Chi, Kuang-Jung Hsu, Kangning Zhao, Shuqing Song, Zongyao Zhou

The preparation of atom-thick porous lattice hosting & Aring;-scale pores is attractive to achieve a large ion-ion selectivity in combination with a large ion flux. Graphene film is an ideal selective layer for this if high-precision pores can be incorpora ...

Nature Portfolio2024

Electrochemical Hydrophobic Tri-layer Interface Rendered Mechanically Graded Solid Electrolyte Interface for Stable Zinc Metal Anode

Lei Zhang, Kangning Zhao

The aqueous zinc-ion battery is promising as grid scale energy storage device, but hindered by the instable electrode/electrolyte interface. Herein, we report the lean-water ionic liquid electrolyte for aqueous zinc metal batteries. The lean-water ionic li ...

Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH2024

Tuning Pore Size in Graphene in the Angstrom Regime for Highly Selective Ion-Ion Separation

Kumar Varoon Agrawal, Luis Francisco Villalobos Vazquez de la Parra, Heng-Yu Chi, Wan-Chi Lee, Shaoxian Li, Kuang-Jung Hsu, Kangning Zhao, Yuyang Zhang

Zero-dimensional pores spanning only a few angstroms in size in two-dimensional materials such as graphene are some of the most promising systems for designing ion-ion selective membranes. However, the key challenge in the field is that so far a crack-free ...

Amer Chemical Soc2024

Understanding the role of surface oxygen-containing functional groups on carbon-supported cobalt catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction

Thi Ha My Pham, Andreas Züttel, Youngdon Ko, Kangning Zhao, Liping Zhong, Manhui Wei

Supported Co-based catalysts exhibit promising catalytic activities in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) during alkaline water electrolysis. Surface functionalization of the support modulates the dispersion of the catalysts and their interaction with the ...

Royal Society of Chemistry2023

Two-Dimensional Organic-Inorganic Heterostructure as a Multifunctional Protective Layer for High Performance Zinc Metal Anode

Kangning Zhao, Xu Zhang

Dendrite growth and side reactions of Zn metal anodes remain unresolved obstacles for practical application of aqueous Zn ion batteries. Herein, a two-dimensional (2D) organic-inorganic heterostructure with controlled thickness was constructed as a protect ...

AMER CHEMICAL SOC2023

Ion Selective and Water Resistant Cellulose Nanofiber/MXene Membrane Enabled Cycling Zn Anode at High Currents

Kangning Zhao

Aqueous rechargeable zinc ion batteries (ZIBs) are regarded as a promising candidates for next-generation energy storage devices but strongly hindered by the limited utilization of the zinc metal anode (below 5%) due to the active water/anion corrosion. He ...

WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH2023

A water-gating and zinc-sieving lignocellulose nanofiber separator for dendrite-free rechargeable aqueous zinc ion battery

Kangning Zhao, Xu Zhang, Zequan Li

The sustainable development of rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (RZIBs) is severely limited by the uncontrolled zinc dendritic growth and side reactions on the anode. Herein, a lignocellulose nanofiber (LCNF) separator from waste palm with dual-func ...

ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA2023

A colloidal aqueous electrolyte modulated by oleic acid for durable zinc metal anode

Di Yang, Kangning Zhao, Xu Zhang

Continuous dendrites growth, as well as corrosion and side reactions of Zn metal anode seriously hinder the development of aqueous zinc ion batteries. To address these issues, oleic acid (OA) is dispersed into a 2 M ZnSO4 solution to form a novel colloidal ...

ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA2023

Mixed-phase 1T/2H-WS2 nanosheets on N-doped multichannel carbon nanofiber as current collector-integrated electrode for potassium battery anode

Song Gao, Kangning Zhao

Potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) have attracted enormous attention due to the increasing lithium battery cost, but their development is still in the pre-mature stage due to the limited selection of electrodes. Herein, a free-standing current-collector-integr ...

ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE2023

Band engineering enhances the electrochemical properties by constructing TiO2 NRs-MoS2 NSFs flexible electrode

Qi Liu, Kangning Zhao

Research and development of flexible electrodes with high performance are crucial to largely determine the performance of flexible lithium-ion batteries (FLIBs) to a large extent. In this work, a flexible anode (TiO2 NRsMoS2 NSFs/CC) is rationally designed ...

ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE2023

Anisotropic In-Plane strain engineering Ni(OH)2 to activate alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction

Chao Yang, Kangning Zhao

Realizing a hydrogen economy strongly requires alkaline water electrolysis to achieve large-scale generation of H2, but lacks stable and efficient catalysts. The insufficient active sites in Ni(OH)2 impair the catalytic performance of alkaline HER. Herein, ...

ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA2023

Fluoride-Rich, Organic-Inorganic Gradient Interphase Enabled by Sacrificial Solvation Shells for Reversible Zinc Metal Batteries

Jun Lu, Lei Zhang, Kangning Zhao, Xu Zhang

Zinc metal batteries are strongly hindered by water corrosion, as solvated zinc ions would bring the active water molecules to the electrode/electrolyte interface constantly. Herein, we report a sacrificial solvation shell to repel active water molecules f ...

Amer Chemical Soc2023

Pure Amorphous and Ultrathin Phosphate Layer with Superior Ionic Conduction for Zinc Anode Protection

Kangning Zhao

Fast and uniform ion transport within the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is considered a crucial factor for ensuring the long-term stability of metal electrodes. In this study, we present the fabrication of ultrathin artificial interphases consisting o ...

Amer Chemical Soc2023