Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Characterization of Electrode Materials for Lithium Ion and Sodium Ion Batteries Using Synchrotron Radiation Techniques
Published on: November 11, 2013
Non-Noble Metallic Plasma Resonance Coupled with Photoelectric Effect Enhances the Conversion Kinetics of
Junwei Li1,2, Xiaohan Wang1,2, Zun Yang1,2
1Institute of Flexible Electronics, Xi'an Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710129, P. R. China.
Abstract:
The severe polysulfide shuttle effect limits the commercialization of lithium-sulfur batteries. In this work, we developed a self-supporting photocathode based on a TiO2/Co Schottky heterojunction, which leverages both electrocatalytic and photocatalytic advantages. Specifically, Co nanoparticles─leveraging the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect, which has been largely overlooked in prior research─enhance catalytic activity by generating hot electrons and providing localized thermal energy. The charge carriers from TiO2 under light are efficiently separated by the Schottky junction. This synergistic effect accelerates the polysulfide conversion kinetics and mitigates the shuttle effect. As a result, the photoassisted lithium-sulfur battery (PALSB) incorporating the TiO2/Co@NC heterojunction demonstrates a high specific capacity of 1429.5 mAh g-1 at 2C for 180 cycles. Furthermore, the PALSB achieves a photocharging capacity of 283 mAh g-1 after 12 h of light exposure. This study offers a promising strategy to integrate solar energy with secondary battery technologies.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Formation of Complex Ions
Colors and Magnetism
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human eye.
Colloidal precipitates
Metal-Semiconductor Junctions
Schottky Barriers
Schottky barriers arise when a metal with a work function (Φm) contacts a semiconductor with a different work function (Φs). Initially, electrons transfer until the Fermi levels of the metal and semiconductor align at equilibrium. For instance, if Φm > Φs, the semiconductor Fermi level is higher than the metal's before contact. The semiconductor's...
Electrochemical Systems
The Electrical Double Layer

