Xi'an Technological University

Rapid and pervasive digitization of innovation processes and outcomes has upended extant theories on innovation management by calling into question fundamental assumptions about the definitional boundaries for innovation, agency for innovation, and the relationship between innovation processes and outcomes. There is a critical need for novel theorizing on digital innovation management that does not rely on such assumptions and draws on the rich and rapidly emerging research on digital technologies. We offer suggestions for such theorizing in the form of four new theorizing logics, or elements, that are likely to be valuable in constructing more accurate explanations of innovation processes and outcomes in an increasingly digital world. These logics can open new avenues for researchers to contribute to this important area. Our suggestions in this paper, coupled with the six research notes included in the special issue on digital innovation management, seek to offer a broader foundation for reinventing innovation management research in a digital world.

Materials exhibiting high energy/power density are currently needed to meet the growing demand of portable electronics, electric vehicles and large-scale energy storage devices. The highest energy densities are achieved for fuel cells, batteries, and supercapacitors, but conventional dielectric capacitors are receiving increased attention for pulsed power applications due to their high power density and their fast charge-discharge speed. The key to high energy density in dielectric capacitors is a large maximum but small remanent (zero in the case of linear dielectrics) polarization and a high electric breakdown strength. Polymer dielectric capacitors offer high power/energy density for applications at room temperature, but above 100 °C they are unreliable and suffer from dielectric breakdown. For high-temperature applications, therefore, dielectric ceramics are the only feasible alternative. Lead-based ceramics such as La-doped lead zirconate titanate exhibit good energy storage properties, but their toxicity raises concern over their use in consumer applications, where capacitors are exclusively lead free. Lead-free compositions with superior power density are thus required. In this paper, we introduce the fundamental principles of energy storage in dielectrics. We discuss key factors to improve energy storage properties such as the control of local structure, phase assemblage, dielectric layer thickness, microstructure, conductivity, and electrical homogeneity through the choice of base systems, dopants, and alloying additions, followed by a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art. Finally, we comment on the future requirements for new materials in high power/energy density capacitor applications.

The rapid advance of mild aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) is driving the development of the energy storage system market. But the thorny issues of Zn anodes, mainly including dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution, and corrosion, severely reduce the performance of ZIBs. To commercialize ZIBs, researchers must overcome formidable challenges. Research about mild aqueous ZIBs is still developing. Various technical and scientific obstacles to designing Zn anodes with high stripping efficiency and long cycling life have not been resolved. Moreover, the performance of Zn anodes is a complex scientific issue determined by various parameters, most of which are often ignored, failing to achieve the maximum performance of the cell. This review proposes a comprehensive overview of existing Zn anode issues and the corresponding strategies, frontiers, and development trends to deeply comprehend the essence and inner connection of degradation mechanism and performance. First, the formation mechanism of dendrite growth, hydrogen evolution, corrosion, and their influence on the anode are analyzed. Furthermore, various strategies for constructing stable Zn anodes are summarized and discussed in detail from multiple perspectives. These strategies are mainly divided into interface modification, structural anode, alloying anode, intercalation anode, liquid electrolyte, non-liquid electrolyte, separator design, and other strategies. Finally, research directions and prospects are put forward for Zn anodes. This contribution highlights the latest developments and provides new insights into the advanced Zn anode for future research.

; (4) outline the advances in monitoring the operations of AEMWEs and AEMFCs, which include microscopic and spectroscopic techniques and beyond; and (5) present key aspects that need to be further studied from the perspective of science and engineering to accelerate the deployment of AEMWEs and AEMFCs.

Lightweight and high-efficiency microwave attenuation are two major challenges in the exploration of carbon-based absorbers, which can be achieved simultaneously by manipulating their chemical composition, microstructure, or impedance matching. In this work, core–shell CoNi@graphitic carbon decorated on B,N-codoped hollow carbon polyhedrons has been constructed by a facile pyrolysis process using metal–organic frameworks as precursors. The B,N-codoped hollow carbon polyhedrons, originated from the calcination of Co-Ni-ZIF-67, are composed of carbon nanocages and BN domains, and CoNi alloy is encapsulated by graphitic carbon layers. With a filling loading of 30 wt %, the absorber exhibits a maximum RL of −62.8 dB at 7.2 GHz with 3 mm and the effective absorption bandwidth below −10 dB remarkably reaches as strong as 8 GHz when the thickness is only 2 mm. The outstanding microwave absorption performance stems from the hollow carbon polyhedrons and carbon nanocages with interior cavities, the synergistic coupling effect between the abundant B–C–N heteroatoms, the strong dipolar/interfacial polarizations, the multiple scatterings, and the improved impedance matching. This study demonstrates that the codoped strategy provides a new way for the rational design of carbon-based absorbers with lightweight and superior microwave attenuation.

Abstract Strong metal–support interaction (SMSI) in supported metal catalysts, typically accompanied by the formation of encapsulation layers over metal nanoparticles, has drawn intense research attention owing to a variety of intriguing behaviors. In particular, recent years have witnessed enormous progress in constructing SMSI between novel components as well as in understanding the nature of SMSI. Notably, SMSI also provides substantial possibilities for designing and modulating advanced heterogeneous catalysts toward a wide range of applications. Therefore, a systematic and critical overview is highly desirable to highlight the recent advances in SMSI and to discuss its applications in heterogeneous catalysts. In this review, the formation process of SMSI is described based on the typical material systems, and then the surface energy minimization mechanism is discussed by fully taking account of new material systems as well as novel construction strategies. Moreover, the principles of using SMSI to control the activity, selectivity, and stability of supported metal catalysts are demonstrated with an emphasis on thermocatalysis and electrocatalysis. To conclude, personal perspectives on the opportunities and challenges for SMSI are provided.

Nitrogen-doped graphene hydrogels (NGHs) were synthesized through a one-pot hydrothermal route with graphene oxide (GO) as raw material and urea as reducing-doping agents. The morphology, structure, and components of the NGHs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, methylene blue adsorption, thermogravimetric analysis and electrical conductivity measurements. The results demonstrated that nitrogen was doped into the graphene plane at the same time as the GO sheets were reduced, and the nitrogen content incorporated into the graphene lattice was in the range of 3.95 to 6.61 at.% with pyrrolic N as the main component. The NGHs contained about 97.6 wt% water and have a large specific surface area (SSA) of >1300 m2 g−1 in the wet state. In addition, the electrochemical performance of the NGHs was investigated. The sample NGHs-4 with a nitrogen content of 5.86 at.% and SSA of 1521 ± 60 m2 g−1 in the wet state showed excellent capacitive behavior (308 F g−1 at 3 A g−1) and superior cycling stability (92% retention after 1200 cycles) in 6 mol L−1 KOH. The experimental results indicated that not only the N-content but also the N-type have very significant impact on the capacitive behavior. Furthermore, NGHs strongly influenced the electrochemical properties because of their high SSAs and mesoporous structure.

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are vital energy-storage devices in modern society. However, the performance and cost are still not satisfactory in terms of energy density, power density, cycle life, safety, etc. To further improve the performance of batteries, traditional "trial-and-error" processes require a vast number of tedious experiments. Computational chemistry and artificial intelligence (AI) can significantly accelerate the research and development of novel battery systems. Herein, a heterogeneous category of AI technology for predicting and discovering battery materials and estimating the state of the battery system is reviewed. Successful examples, the challenges of deploying AI in real-world scenarios, and an integrated framework are analyzed and outlined. The state-of-the-art research about the applications of ML in the property prediction and battery discovery, including electrolyte and electrode materials, are further summarized. Meanwhile, the prediction of battery states is also provided. Finally, various existing challenges and the framework to tackle the challenges on the further development of machine learning for rechargeable LIBs are proposed.

Novel BaTiO₃-based capacitors show promising energy storage performance with high breakdown strength and discharge energy density and outstanding energy efficiency.

Bi₂(Li_0.5Ta_1.5)O₇ceramics possess a<italic>ε</italic>_rof 65.1, a<italic>Q</italic>_fof 15 500 GHz and a TCF of −17.5 ppm °C⁻¹. The sintering temperature was lowered to 920 °C by the addition of 2 mol% Bi₂O₃, which makes them potential candidates for dielectric resonators and LTCC applications.

Tailored dopant strategies are proposed to optimise the energy density of BiFeO₃–SrTiO₃, which can be adapted for other high polarisability oxide-based systems.

Non-carbon supported SACs were classified into eight categories based on the nature of their substrates for the first time, and their corresponding anchoring and stabilization mechanisms have been systematically summarized and discussed.

Because of their high energy density, low cost, and environmental friendliness, lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries are one of the potential candidates for the next-generation energy-storage devices. However, they have been troubled by sluggish reaction kinetics for the insoluble Li2S product and capacity degradation because of the severe shuttle effect of polysulfides. These problems have been overcome by introducing transition metal compounds (TMCs) as catalysts into the interlayer of modified separator or sulfur host. This review first introduces the mechanism of sulfur redox reactions. The methods for studying TMC catalysts in Li–S batteries are provided. Then, the recent advances of TMCs (such as metal oxides, metal sulfides, metal selenides, metal nitrides, metal phosphides, metal carbides, metal borides, and heterostructures) as catalysts and some helpful design and modulation strategies in Li–S batteries are highlighted and summarized. At last, future opportunities toward TMC catalysts in Li–S batteries are presented.

Abstract Despite the impressive merits of low‐cost and high‐safety electrochemical energy storage for aqueous zinc ion batteries, researchers have long struggled against the unresolved issues of dendrite growth and the side reactions of zinc metal anodes. Herein, a new strategy of zinc‐electrolyte interface charge engineering induced by amino acid additives is demonstrated for highly reversible zinc plating/stripping. Through electrostatic preferential absorption of positively charged arginine molecules on the surface of the zinc metal anode, a self‐adaptive zinc‐electrolyte interface is established for the inhibition of water adsorption/hydrogen evolution and the guidance of uniform zinc deposition. Consequently, an ultra‐long stable cycling up to 2200 h at a high current density of 5 mA cm −2 is achieved under an areal capacity of 4 mAh cm −2 . Even cycled at an ultra‐high current density of 10 mA cm −2 , 900 h‐long stable cycling is still demonstrated, demonstrating the reliable self‐adaptive feature of the zinc‐electrolyte interface. This work provides a new perspective of interface charge engineering in realizing highly reversible bulk zinc anode that can prompt its practical application in aqueous rechargeable zinc batteries.

The mechanisms underpinning high energy storage density in lead-free Ag1–3xNdxTayNb1-yO3 antiferroelectric (AFE) ceramics have been investigated. Rietveld refinements of in-situ synchrotron X-ray data reveal that the structure remains quadrupled and orthorhombic under electric field (E) but adopts a non-centrosymmetric space group, Pmc21, in which the cations exhibit a ferrielectric configuration. Nd and Ta doping both stabilize the AFE structure, thereby increasing the AFE-ferrielectric switching field from 150 to 350 kV cm−1. Domain size and correlation length of AFE/ferrielectric coupling reduce with Nd doping, leading to slimmer hysteresis loops. The maximum polarization (Pmax) is optimized through A-site aliovalent doping which also decreases electrical conductivity, permitting the application of a larger E. These effects combine to enhance energy storage density to give Wrec = 6.5 J cm−3 for Ag0.97Nd0.01Ta0.20Nb0.80O3.

The study of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) has lasted around 70 years, since the first investigation in the early 1950s. Though enormous effort has been devoted in this field, it is still far from commercialization. The methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), as a semi-reaction of DMFCs, is the bottleneck reaction that restricts the overall performance of DMFCs. To date, there has been intense debate on the complex six-electron reaction, but barely any reviews have systematically discussed this topic. To this end, the controversies and progress regarding the electrocatalytic mechanisms, performance evaluations as well as the design science toward MOR electrocatalysts are summarized. This review also provides a comprehensive introduction on the recent development of emerging MOR electrocatalysts with a focus on the innovation of the alloy, core-shell structure, heterostructure, and single-atom catalysts. Finally, perspectives on the future outlook toward study of the mechanisms and design of electrocatalysts are provided.

Although extensive studies have been done on lead-free dielectric ceramics to achieve excellent dielectric behaviors and good energy storage performance, the major problem of low energy density has not been solved so far. Here, we report on designing the crossover relaxor ferroelectrics (CRFE), a crossover region between the normal ferroelectrics and relaxor ferroelectrics, as a solution to overcome the low energy density. CRFE exhibits smaller free energy and lower defect density in the modified Landau theory, which helps to obtain ultrahigh energy density and efficiency. The (1–x)Ba0.65Sr0.35TiO3–xBi(Mg2/3Nb1/3)O3 ((1–x)BST–xBMN) (x = 0, 0.08, 0.1, 0.18, 0.2) ceramic was synthesized by a solid-state reaction method. The solid solutions exhibit dielectric frequency dispersion, which suggests typical relaxor characteristics with the increasing BMN content. The crossover ferroelectrics of 0.9BST–0.1BMN ceramic possesses a high energy storage efficiency (η) of 85.71%, a high energy storage density (W) of 3.90 J/cm3, and an ultrahigh recoverable energy storage density (Wrec) of 3.34 J/cm3 under a dielectric breakdown strength of 400 kV/cm and is superior to other lead-free BaTiO3 (BT)-based energy storage ceramics. It also exhibits strong thermal stability in the temperature range from 25 to 150 °C under an electric field of 300 kV/cm, with the fluctuations below 3% and with the energy storage density and energy efficiency at about 2.8 J/cm3 and 82.93%, respectively. The enhanced recoverable energy density and breakdown strength of BT-based materials with significantly high energy efficiency make it a promising candidate to meet the wide requirements for high power applications.

Blockchain is a new generation of secure information technology that is fueling business and industrial innovation. Many studies on key enabling technologies for resource organization and system operation of blockchain-secured smart manufacturing in Industry 4.0 had been conducted. However, the progression and promotion of these blockchain applications have been fundamentally impeded by various issues in scalability, flexibility, and cybersecurity. This survey discusses how blockchain systems can overcome potential cybersecurity barriers to achieving intelligence in Industry 4.0. In this regard, eight cybersecurity issues (CIs) are identified in manufacturing systems. Ten metrics for implementing blockchain applications in the manufacturing system are devised while surveying research in blockchain-secured smart manufacturing. This study reveals how these CIs have been studied in the literature. Based on insights obtained from this analysis, future research directions for blockchain-secured smart manufacturing are presented, which potentially guides research on urgent cybersecurity concerns for achieving intelligence in Industry 4.0.

Abstract Designing non‐precious electrocatalysts to synergistically achieve a facilitated mass/electron transfer and exposure of abundant active sites is highly desired but remains a significant challenge. Herein, a composite electrocatalyst consisting of highly dispersed Co/CoP heterojunction embedded within a hierarchically ordered macroporous‐mesoporous‐microporous carbon matrix (Co/CoP@HOMC) is rationally designed through the pyrolysis of polystyrene sphere‐templated zeolite imidazolate framework‐67 (ZIF‐67) assemblies. The combined experimental and theoretical calculations reveal that Co/CoP interfaces not only provide richly exposed active sites but also optimize hydrogen/water absorption free energy via electronic coupling, while the interconnected macroporous structure enables a superior mass transfer to all accessible active sites. As a result, the as‐developed Co/CoP@HOMC composites exhibit outstanding catalytic activity with overpotentials of only 120 and 260 mV at 10 mA cm −2 for the hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction in 1.0 m KOH, respectively. Moreover, an alkaline electrolyzer constructed by Co/CoP@HOMC requires an ultralow cell voltage of 1.54 V to achieve 10 mA cm −2 , outperforming that of the Pt@C||IrO 2 @C couple (1.64 V).

Aqueous supercapacitors have the superiorities of high safety, environmental friendliness, inexpensive, etc. High energy density supercapacitors are not conducive to manufacturing due to the limitation of water thermodynamic decomposition potential, resulting in a narrow working voltage window. To address such challenges, a great endeavor has started to investigate high voltage aqueous supercapacitors as well as making some progress. This review summarizes key strategies regarding the realization of wide working voltage of aqueous supercapacitors and analyzes the involved mechanism, including the optimization of electrodes, electrolytes, diaphragms, and supercapacitor structures. From the perspective of extending the theoretical voltage window, electrode functionalization, heteroatom doping, neutral electrolyte, water-in-salt electrolyte, introducing redox mediators into electrolyte, and designing asymmetric structure are effective strategies for achieving this goal. Further, the actual voltage window can be maximized by optimizing the electrode mass ratio, adjusting potential of zero voltage, and electrode functionalization. The challenge and future of expanding working voltage of aqueous supercapacitors are further discussed. Importantly, this review provides inspiration for the development of supercapacitors with high energy density.