Textiles have been concomitant of human civilization for thousands of years. With the advances in chemistry and materials, integrating textiles with energy harvesters will provide a sustainable, environmentally friendly, pervasive, and wearable energy solution for distributed on-body electronics in the era of Internet of Things. This article comprehensively and thoughtfully reviews research activities regarding the utilization of smart textiles for harvesting energy from renewable energy sources on the human body and its surroundings. Specifically, we start with a brief introduction to contextualize the significance of smart textiles in light of the emerging energy crisis, environmental pollution, and public health. Next, we systematically review smart textiles according to their abilities to harvest biomechanical energy, body heat energy, biochemical energy, solar energy as well as hybrid forms of energy. Finally, we provide a critical analysis of smart textiles and insights into remaining challenges and future directions. With worldwide efforts, innovations in chemistry and materials elaborated in this review will push forward the frontiers of smart textiles, which will soon revolutionize our lives in the era of Internet of Things.

Smart Textiles for Electricity Generation.

Research advances in magnesium and magnesium alloys worldwide in 2020

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/smtd.202000218

A Chronicle Review of Nonsilicon (Sn, Sb, Ge)-Based Lithium/Sodium-Ion Battery Alloying Anodes

Silicon and germanium are among the most promising candidates as anodes for Li-ion batteries, meanwhile their potential application in sodium- and potassium-ion batteries is emerging. The access of their entire potential requires a comprehensive understanding of their electrochemical mechanism. This Review highlights the processes taking place during the alloying reaction of Si and Ge with the alkali ions. Several associated challenges, including the volumetric expansion, particle pulverization, and uncontrolled formation of solid electrolyte interphase layer must be surmounted and different strategies, such as nanostructures and electrode formulation, have been implemented. Additionally, a new approach based on the use of layered Si and Ge-based Zintl phases is presented. The versatility of this new family permits the tuning of their physical and chemical properties for specific applications. For batteries in particular, the layered structure buffers the volume expansion and exhibits an enhanced electronic conductivity, allowing high power applications.

https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03066422/document

Si and Ge‐Based Anode Materials for Li‐, Na‐, and K‐Ion Batteries: A Perspective from Structure to Electrochemical Mechanism

Alloy Anode Materials for Rechargeable Mg Ion Batteries

High-Rate and Long Cycle-Life Alloy-Type Magnesium-Ion Battery Anode Enabled Through (De)magnesiation-Induced Near-Room-Temperature Solid–Liquid Phase Transformation

Enhanced Cycling Stability of Macroporous Bulk Antimony-Based Sodium-Ion Battery Anodes Enabled through Active/Inactive Composites

There are still many scientific and engineering challenges that need to be addressed before a true sustainable hydrogen economy can be realized. Three of these challenges include sustainable hydrog...

Hierarchical Bulk Nanoporous Aluminum for On-Site Generation of Hydrogen by Hydrolysis in Pure Water and Combustion of Solid Fuels

Dealloyed nanoporous metals made of very-reactive elements have rarely been reported. Instead, reactive materials are used as sacrificial components in dealloying. The high chemical reactivity of nonprecious nanostructured metals makes them suitable for a broad range of applications such as splitting water into H2 gas and metal hydroxide. On the other hand, the same high chemical reactivity hinders the synthesis of nanostructured metals. Here we use a pH-controlled dealloying strategy to fabricate bulk nanoporous Zn with bulk dimensions in the centimeter range via the selective removal of Al from metastable face-centered cubic bulk Zn20Al80 at. % parent alloys. The corresponding bulk nanoporous Zn exhibits a hierarchical ligament/pore architecture characterized by primary ligaments and pores with an average feature size in the submicrometer range. These primary structures are made of ultrafine secondary ligaments and pores with a characteristic feature size in the range of 10–20 nm. Our bulk nanoporous Zn...

pH-Controlled Dealloying Route to Hierarchical Bulk Nanoporous Zn Derived from Metastable Alloy for Hydrogen Generation by Hydrolysis of Zn in Neutral Water

Zeyu Wang

Papers

High-Rate and Long Cycle-Life Alloy-Type Magnesium-Ion Battery Anode Enabled Through (De)magnesiation-Induced Near-Room-Temperature Solid–Liquid Phase Transformation

Enhanced Cycling Stability of Macroporous Bulk Antimony-Based Sodium-Ion Battery Anodes Enabled through Active/Inactive Composites

Hierarchical Bulk Nanoporous Aluminum for On-Site Generation of Hydrogen by Hydrolysis in Pure Water and Combustion of Solid Fuels

pH-Controlled Dealloying Route to Hierarchical Bulk Nanoporous Zn Derived from Metastable Alloy for Hydrogen Generation by Hydrolysis of Zn in Neutral Water

Activated alumina as value-added byproduct from the hydrolysis of hierarchical nanoporous aluminum with pure water to generate hydrogen fuel