Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries, renowned for their potential high energy density, have attracted attention due to their use of earth-abundant elements. However, a significant challenge lies in developing suitable materials for both lithium-based anodes, which are less prone to lithium dendrite formation, and sulfur-based cathodes. This obstacle has hindered their widespread commercial viability. In this study, we present a novel sulfur host material in the form of a two-dimensional semiconductor boron nitride framework, specifically the 2D orthorhombic diboron dinitride (o-B2N₂). The inherent conductivity of o-B2N₂ mitigates the insulating nature often observed in sulfur-based electrodes. Notably, the o-B2N₂ surface demonstrates a high binding affinity for long-chain Li-polysulfides, leading to a significant reduction in their dissolution into the DME/DOL electrolytes. Furthermore, the preferential deposition of Li2S on the o-B2N₂ surface expedites the kinetics of the lithium polysulfide redox reactions. Additionally, our investigations have revealed a catalytic mechanism on the o-B2N₂ surface, significantly reducing the free energy barriers for various sulfur reduction reactions. Consequently, the integration of o-B2N₂ as a host cathode material for Li–S batteries holds great promise in suppressing the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides and ultimately enhancing the overall battery performance. This represents a practical advancement for the application of Li–S batteries.

Two-dimensional (2D) Janus monolayers, distinguished by their intrinsic vertical electric fields, emerge as highly efficient and eco-friendly materials for advancing the field of hydrogen evolution reactions (HER). In this study, we explore, for the first time, the potential viability of the oxygenation phase of two-dimensional Janus transition metal dichalcogenides MoOX (X = S, Se, and Te) monolayers as an exceptionally efficient photocatalyst for hydrogen production. Based on first-principles computations, we demonstrate that all three monolayers exhibit semiconductor behavior, characterized by a band gap ranging from 0.66 to 1.55 eV. This narrow band gap renders the proposed materials highly efficient at absorbing light within the visible region. Excitingly, the introduction of an electrostatic potential difference ΔΦ has granted us the ability to surpass the conventional bandgap limit (E_g≥1.23). Consequently, all monolayers exhibit favorable band alignment with respect to the vacuum level. Moreover, the calculated solar-to-hydrogen efficiency for the envisaged monolayer exceeds the established theoretical limit. Particularly, the MoOTe monolayer emerges as an infrared-light-driven photocatalyst, demonstrating a remarkable solar-to-hydrogen efficiency limit of up to 25,21% when considering the entire solar spectrum. A thorough examination of the Gibbs free energy differences across these monolayers has revealed that the values during the oxygenation phase are significantly smaller and approach the optimum, in contrast to the parental two-dimensional Janus transition metal dichalcogenides. Our results conclusively establish that the proposed materials exhibit exceptional efficiency as photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reactions. Notably, their efficacy is demonstrated even in the lack of co-catalysts or sacrificial agents.

Owing to their ecological integrity, non-toxicity, and outstanding performances, Double-Halide perovskites have been vigorously promoted as sustainable alternatives for thermoelectric and photovoltaic applications. In this context, we have systematically explored the structural and mechanical strength characteristics of Cs₂AgGa(Cl,Br)₆ materials through the tolerance factor analyses and Born stability criteria. Subsequently, a detailed study of their electronic, optical, and thermoelectric properties has been performed. As results, both Cs₂AgGaCl₆ and Cs₂AgGaBr₆ show semiconducting nature with a direct bandgap of about 2.57 eV and 1.42 eV, respectively. Additionally, with such desirable band gaps, the optical properties were examined based on the complex dielectric function. It has been derived that both materials exhibit a very high absorption spectrum in the order of 10⁵ cm⁻¹ and a low reflectivity not exceeding more than 18% in the visible and UV region. Furthermore, the Cs₂AgGaBr₆ has been taken into account as absorber to construct the planar p-intrinsic-n structure (FTO/TiO₂/Cs₂AgGaBr₆/Spiro-OMeTAD/Au) and a high-record efficiency of 32.57% has been reached. The thermoelectric performance was also studied and revealed a very high Seebeck coefficient (thermo-power) and a sufficient figure of merit (ZT). Based on these results, we believe that the studied double-halide perovskites present outstanding performance for both optoelectronic and thermoelectric engineering devices.

Through a density functional theory-driven survey, a comprehensive investigation of two-dimensional (2D) Janus aluminum-based monochalcogenides (Al₂XY with X/Y = S, Se, and Te) has been performed within this study. To begin with, it is established that the examined phase, in which the Al-atoms are located at the two inner planes while the (S, Se, and Te)-atoms occupy the two outer planes in the unit cell, are energetically, mechanically, dynamically, and thermally stable. To address the electronic and optical properties, the hybrid function HSE06 has been employed. It is at first revealed that all three monolayers display a semiconducting nature with an indirect band gap ranging from 1.82 to 2.79 eV with a refractive index greater than 1.5, which implies that they would be transparent materials. Furthermore, the monolayers feature strong absorption spectra of around 10⁵ cm⁻¹ within the visible and ultraviolet regions, suggesting their potential use in optoelectronic devices. Concerning the photocatalytic performance, the conduction band-edge positions straddle the hydrogen evolution reaction redox level. Also, it is observed that the computed Gibbs free energy is around 1.15 eV, which is lower and comparable to some recently reported 2D-based Janus monolayers. Additionally, the thermoelectric properties are further investigated and found to offer a large thermal power as well as a high figure of merit (ZT) around 1.03. The aforementioned results strongly suggest that the 2D Janus Al-based monochalcogenide exhibits suitable characteristics as a potential material for high-performance optoelectronic and thermoelectric applications.

Computational design of new two-dimensional materials constitutes an effective and promising approach in the development and exploration of a wide range of emerging applications such as optoelectronics, photocatalysis, energy storage, and conversion. Within the framework of this work, we systematically investigated for the first time, the structural, stability, optoelectronic, and pho-tocatalytic properties of new predicted Al(Ga, In)STe monolayers derived from Janus Aluminium mono-chalcogenides through Density Functional Theory and Ab-Initio molecular dynamic simulations. After a full optimization of both struc-tures, their dynamics and thermal stability was confirmed through the calculations of phonon spectrum and ab-initio molecular dynamics at a chosen temperature, respectively. Subsequently, the electronic and optical properties were explored and findings revealed that both monolayers exhibit a semiconducting characteristic with a direct and indirect electronic band gap of about 2.23 and 2.69 eV using HSE06 hybrid functional for AlGaSTe and AlInSTe monolayers, re-spectively. Furthermore, the optical absorption indicates a strong absorption of light in the range between 3 and 18 eV. More noticeably, Both Janus monolayers considered exhibiting a promising optical absorption in the visible wavelength region with an absorption coefficient greater than 10⁵ cm⁻¹. In addition, the photocatalytic properties of these structures were investigated by plotting the band edge positions straddle the reduction potential of H₂ and the oxidation potential H₂O. Based on our results, we conclude that both monolayers offer good thermodynamic stability allowing them to be processed experimentally and can be used as very appropriate candidates for optoelectronics and photocatalytic applications.

Hydrogen production via solar light-driven water dissociation has been regarded as an artificial and effective process to overcome the environmental problem as well as solving the current energy crisis. In this regard, numerous works have mainly been devoted to developing the appropriate photocatalyst which satisfies the conditions for water splitting and understanding the photocatalysis process. In this study, we propose for the first time the potential application of the two-dimensional Janus aluminum oxysulfide Al₂OS as an efficient photocatalyst material for hydrogen-production H₂ through the first-principles calculations. Janus Al₂OS monolayer has been designed from the parental binary aluminum sulfide AlS by substituting one sub-layer of sulfide atoms (S) to oxygen atoms (O). The electronic properties of the pristine AlS and the derived Janus Al₂OS were computed using GGA-PBE and HSE06 functionals. According to the band structure, AlS monolayer shows a semiconductor behavior with an indirect bandgap of 2.14 eV whereas, the Janus Al₂OS exhibits a direct bandgap of 1.579 eV. Motivated by the desirable bandgap of the Janus Al₂OS, the absorption-coefficient of Janus Al₂OS shows strong visible light harvesting compared to the parental AlS. Furthermore, the photocatalytic performance of Al₂OS has been investigated. Our calculations demonstrate that the band edge position of Al₂OS is suitable for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). More importantly, based on the reaction coordinate, it was found that the Gibbs free-energy ΔG_H^∗ of Al₂OS is 0.97 eV which is smaller than of the two-dimensional Janus Ga₂XY (X, Y = S, Se, Te with X ≠ Y) reported recently. Moreover, this value decreases from 0.97 eV to 0.69 eV under 0.5 V/Å of an external electrical field. Our results indicate that Janus Al₂OS fulfills the fundamental requirements for efficient photo-catalyst under visible light and provides new guidance for hydrogen-production via water splitting.

Promising flexible electrochemical energy storage systems (EESSs) are currently drawing considerable attention for their tremendous prospective end-use in portable self-powered electronic devices, including roll-up displays, and “smart” garments outfitted with piezoelectric patches to harvest energy from body movement. However, the lack of suitable battery electrodes that provides a specific electrochemical performance has made further development of these technologies challenging. Two-dimensional (2D) lightweight and flexible materials with outstanding physical and chemical properties, including mechanical strengths, hydrophilic surfaces, high surface metal diffusivity, and good conductivity, have been identified as a potential prospect for battery electrodes. In this study, taking a new 2D boron nitride allotrope, namely 2D orthorhombic diboron dinitride monolayer (o-B₂N₂) as representatives, we systematically explored several influencing factors, including electronic, mechanical, and their electrochemical properties (e.g., binding strength, ionic mobility, equilibrium voltage, and theoretical capacity). Considering potential charge-transfer polarization, we employed a charged electrode model to simulate ionic mobility and found ionic mobility has a unique dependence on the surface atomic configuration influenced by bond length, valence electron number, electrical conductivity, excellent ionic mobility, low equilibrium voltage with excellent stability, good flexibility, and extremely superior theoretical capacity, up to 8.7 times higher than that of widely commercialized graphite (3239.74 mAh g⁻¹ Vs 372 mAh g⁻¹) in case of Li-ion batteries and 2159.83 mAh g⁻¹ in case of Na-ion batteries, indicating that the new predicted 2D o-B₂N₂ monolayer possess the capability to be ideal flexible anode materials for Lithium and Sodium-ion battery. Our finding provides valuable insights for experimental explorations of flexible anode candidates based on 2D o-B₂N₂ monolayer.

Halide-based double perovskites have recently been promoted as high-performing semiconductors for photovoltaic and thermoelectricity applications owing to their outstanding efficiency, non-toxicity and ecological stability. In the framework of this research, we have systematically investigated the structural, mechanical, electronic, optical, and thermoelectric properties of Rb₂InSb(Cl,Br)₆ double halide perovskites. Based on Born stability and tolerance factor criteria, we have found that Rb₂InSb(Cl,Br)₆ are mechanically and structurally stable. Furthermore, we have performed a comprehensive evaluation of the electronic, optoelectronic, and thermoelectric characteristics. From the electronic band structure results, Rb₂InSbCl₆ and Rb₂InSbBr₆ exhibit direct semiconducting band gaps of 1.41 ​eV and 0.53 ​eV, respectively. The optical parameters of Rb₂InSb(Cl,Br)₆ reveal that our active structures have a higher dielectric constant, with maximum absorption in the visible range reaching over 5.68 ​× ​10⁵ ​cm⁻¹ and high optical conductivity (2.19 fs⁻¹ for Rb₂InSbCl₆ and 2.14 fs⁻¹ for Rb₂InSbCl₆). Moreover, the maximum limited spectroscopic efficiency reaches an impressive value of approximately 28.0% for Rb₂InSbBr₆ and 33.7% for Rb₂InSbCl₆. The thermoelectric properties were accurately calculated using the BoltzTraP simulation package. The obtained results reveal a significant electrical conductivity, a strong Seebeck coefficient (S ​≈ ​2756 μVK⁻¹ ​at 300 ​K), and an average figure of merit close to one for both structures (ZT ​≈ ​1). Our findings suggest the versatility of these materials and could be used for a wide range of applications, including commercial solar cells and thermoelectricity.

During the last decade, Inorganic Halide Double Perovskite materials have attracted widespread interest as a promising eco-friendly and non-toxic alternative to lead based hybrid halide organic–inorganic perovskites materials, with outstanding Stability, Structural and electronic properties. In this study, First-Principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed on the structural, stability, electronic and optical properties of the transition metal-based double perovskites materials Cs₂InGaX₆ (X = Cl, Br, or I). Our results reveal that all these materials exhibit excellent thermodynamic and structural stability owing to their negative formation energies and Goldsmith's factors. It is also observed that Cs₂InGaCl₆, Cs₂InGaBr₆, and Cs₂InGaI₆ materials exhibit band gaps calculated by different functional (GGA-PBE and TB-mpj) in visible-range between 0.89 and 3.24 eV. Furthermore, the computed optical properties reveal strong absorption in UV, visible, and IR range with high optical conductivity and low reflectivity. These obtained results predict that the three transition metal-based double perovskites materials carries promising application in nano-electronic and optoelectronic device applications and can be considered as photovoltaic absorber materials.

Two-dimensional materials provide new opportunities for the next generation of effective and ultrathin photovoltaic solar cells. Herein, we propose Janus monolayers of Tin monochalcogenides, especially Janus Sn₂SSe (type TA) and SnGeS₂ (type TB) nanosheets, as strong absorber candidates for solar energy conversion, referring to their excellent electronic and optical properties. Interestingly, based on the first-principles computations, both Janus Sn₂SSe and SnGeS₂ monolayers possess semiconductor character with indirect and moderate band gaps of 1.60 and 1.61eV, respectively. Accordingly, the considered systems, Sn₂SSe and SnGeS₂ single-layers, have high absorption coefficient, reaching up to 49.7 and 62.5μm⁻¹, high optical conductivity of about 4513 and 3559Ω⁻¹cm⁻¹, as well as low reflectivity never exceed 34.6 and 38.5% in visible region, respectively. Additionally, the maximum photovoltaic efficiency of single-junction solar cells based on SnGeS₂ and Sn₂SSe nanosheets can reach as high as 27.47% and 28.12%, respectively. The present outstanding results would motivate both theoretical and experimental researchers to deepen the study of the potential applications of two-dimensional Janus materials based on Tin monochalcogenides in solar cell technology.

Nowadays, secondary batteries based on sodium (Na), potassium (K), and magnesium (Mg) stimulate curiosity as eventually high-availability, nontoxic, and eco-friendly alternatives of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Against this background, a spate of studies has been carried out over the past few years on anode materials suitable for post-lithium-ion battery (PLIBs), in particular sodium-, potassium- and magnesium-ion batteries. Here, we have consistently studied the efficiency of a 2D α-phase arsenic phosphorus (α-AsP) as anodes through density functional theory (DFT) basin-hopping Monte Carlo algorithm (BHMC) and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) calculations. Our findings show that α-AsP is an optimal anode material with very high stabilities, high binding strength, intrinsic metallic characteristic after (Na/K/Mg) adsorption, theoretical specific capacity, and ultralow ion diffusion barriers. The ultralow energy barriers are found to be 0.066 eV (Na), 0.043 eV (K), and 0.058 eV (Mg), inferior to that of the widely investigated MXene materials. During the charging process, a wide (Na+/K+/Mg2+) concentration storage from which a high specific capacity of 759.24/506.16/253.08 mAh/g for Na/K/Mg ions was achieved with average operating voltages of 0.84, 0.93, and 0.52 V, respectively. The above results provide valuable insights for the experimental setup of outstanding anode material for post-Li-ion battery.

Development of high capacity anode materials is one of the essential strategies for next-generation high-performance Li/Na-ion batteries. Rational design, using density functional theory, can expedite the discovery of these anode materials. Here, we propose a new anode material, germanium carbide, g-GeC, for Li/Na-ion batteries. Our results show that g-GeC possesses both benefits of the high stability of graphene and the strong interaction between Li/Na and germanene. The single-layer germanium carbide, g-GeC, can be lithiated/sodiated on both sides yielding Li₂GeC and Na₂GeC with a storage capacity as high as 633 mA h/g. Besides germagraphene's 2D honeycomb structure, fast charge transfer, and high (Li/Na)-ion diffusion and negligible volume change further enhance the anode performance. These findings provide valuable insights into the electronic characteristics of newly predicted 2D g-GeC nanomaterial as a promising anode for (Li/Na)-ion batteries.

The massive consumption of traditional fossil fuel like oil, coal and natural gas has led to serious environmental issues, which drove the search for cleaner renewable energy sources. One such option is photocatalytic water splitting that has attracted much attention as a viable process for the large scale production of hydrogen as a renewable fuel. Within this perspective, we methodically studied the structural, optoelectronic, and photocatalytic properties of two-dimensional aluminum monochalcogenide monolayers with the chemical formula AlX (X = O, S, Se, and Te) based on the framework of Density Functional Theory (DFT). All considered structures are full relaxed and their thermodynamic stabilities are confirmed by computing the phonon spectrum and Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics (AIMD) simulations. The electronic characteristics are also performed on the basis of both exchange correlation functional GGA-PBE and HSE06 in order to obtain the accurate electronic band gap. According to our calculations, all the four monolayers posses indirect band gaps ranging between 1.937 and 2.46 eV. Furthermore, based on desirable electronic band gaps, the optical performance features were further explored including complex refractive index, absorption coefficient and energy loss function by means of the complex dielectric function. It is found that all the four materials present a high absorption coefficient in the visible and Ultra-Violet regions. Finally, the band edge positions of our monolayers straddle the reduction potential of H₂ and the oxidation potential H₂O. Also, it was found that the Gibbs free energy of 2D AlO monolayer is 0.02 eV at certain applied external electric field and very close to ideal catalysts which suggest that the AlO monolayer is better candidate for hydrogen production. Our findings demonstrate that AlX monolayers are suitable materials for optoelectronics and hydrogen production via photocatalytic water splitting.

Graphite anode have shown commercial success for over two decades, since the start of their use in commercial Li-ion batteries, due to their high practical specific capacity, conductivity, and low lithiation potential. Graphite is to a large extent thermodynamically unfavorable for sodium-ion intercalation and thus limits advancement in Na-ion batteries. In this work, a β-phase arsenic-phosphorus monolayer is studied, which has recently been predicted to have semiconducting behavior and to be dynamically stable. First-principles calculations based on density functional theory are used to explore the role of β-AsP monolayer as a negative electrode for Na-ion batteries. Cohesive energy, phonon spectrum, and molecule dynamics simulations confirm the thermodynamic stability and the possibility of experimentally synthesizing this material. The Na-ion adsorption-energies are found to be high (>−1.2 eV) on both sides (As- and P-side). The ultra-fast energy barriers for Na (0.046/0.053 V) over both sides imply high diffusion of Na-ions on the surfaces of β-AsP. During the evaluation of Na-ion anode performance, the fully sodiated state is found to be Na₂AsP, which yields a high theoretical-specific capacity of 506.16 mAh g⁻¹ and low average sodiation potential of 0.43 V versus Na/Na+.

In the present study, the combination of the First-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations and Monte Carlo (MC) methods are investigated on the structural, magneto-electronic and magneto-caloric properties of the anti-perovskite carbides Mn₃XC with X = Sn, Zn. Firstly, the electronic band structure and total/partial density of state of both Mn₃SnC and Mn₃ZnC are computed and compared to other theoretical and experimental works. Our results reveal that both Mn₃SnC and Mn₃ZnC structures exhibit a metallic behavior and the valence (VB) and conduction (CB) bands overlap considerably. Additionally, the magnetic and magneto-caloric properties including heat capacity (C), the entropy change (ΔS), adiabatic temperature (ΔT) and the refrigerant capacity (RC) were studied under the magnetic field ranging between 0 and 5 T for both anti-perovskites. Our findings suggest that both anti-perovskite carbide (Mn3SnC and Mn3ZnC) can act as an effective substrate for magnetic refrigeration.

The emergence of compact lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries with improved performances is becoming one of the most desirable aspects of future energy technologies. Beyond Li-ion batteries, Li-S is of great relevance to follow as it adapts to the specificity of each application. It is among the most suitable elements for high-performance energy storage systems, given its high theoretical capacity (1674 mA h g-1) and energy density (2600 W h kg-1) relative to Li-ion batteries (300 W h kg-1). Nevertheless, the high-cell polarization and the shuttle effect constitute an enormous challenge toward the concrete applications of Li-S batteries. In the framework of this work, density functional theory calculations have been carried out to analyze the potential of h-BAs nanosheets as a promising host material for Li-S batteries. Binding and electronic characteristics of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) adsorbed on h-BAs surface have been explored. Reported findings highlight the potential of the h-BAs monolayer as a moderate host material, given that the binding energies of different LiPSs vary from 0.47 to 3.55 eV. More detailed analysis of the complex binding mechanisms is carried out by investigating the components of van der Waals physical/chemical interactions. The defected surface of the h-BAs monolayer has optimum binding energies with LiPSs for Li-S batteries. All these findings provide valuable insights into the binding and electronic characteristics of the h-BAs monolayer as a moderate host material for Li-S batteries.

Solid-state systems serve as a candidate for clean energy applications driven by current technological demands. In this effort, density functional theory (DFT) has become a valuable asset to investigate the intrinsic electronic properties and holds a substantial promise for guiding the discovery of new materials. Herein, we have investigated the Li and Na decorated 2D boron phosphide (BP) monolayer as a potential candidate for hydrogen storage due to its lightweight and structural stability. Li and Na adatoms prefer to adsorb at the center of the hexagon with the binding energies 0.36 and 0.26 eV, respectively. The thermodynamic stabilities of BP monolayer in cases of 4Li@BP and 4Na@BP systems were evaluated at room temperature using ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations. The study of the electronic structure revealed that the semiconducting BP sheets become metallic after the adatom adsorption. It was found that the dispersed Li and Na atoms on the monolayer surface significantly increase both the hydrogen binding energies and the hydrogen storage capacities. With one-sided coverage of Li and Na atoms, four H2 molecules were adsorbed with a gravimetric capacity of 4.917 and 4.558 wt%, respectively. For double-sided adatom coverage, a total of 16H2 molecules was captured around 4Li@BP and 4Na@BP complex with a gravimetric capacity of 7.402 and 6.446 wt%, respectively. These results suggest that boron phosphide (BP) can act as an effective substrate for H2 storage by carefully engineering it with metal decoration.

Using the dynamic quantum Monte Carlo simulation, the dynamic magnetocaloric effect of a ferromagnetic multilayer nanographene (MNG) is studied within the dynamic Ising model under the applied of a time-dependent oscillating (h(t)) magnetic field. The influence of the amplitude h₀ and the period τ of the h(t) and the transverse field Ω on the thermal behavior of the dynamic order parameter and the dynamic magnetocaloric properties (the dynamic isothermal ΔS_T(T,h(t)) entropy change and the dynamic ΔT_adT,h(t) adiabatic change of temperature), the dynamic specific heat, the dynamic entropy and as well as the dynamic relative cooling power (RCP(t)) ferrimagnetic MNG are studied. Our predicted results may be a reference for future experiment and theoretical studies of the nanostructures.

The selection of a suitable two dimensional anode material is one of the key steps in the development of alkali metal ion batteries to achieve superior performance with an ultrahigh rate of charging/discharging capability. Here, we have used state of the art density functional theory (DFT) to explore the feasibility of two dimensional (2D) honeycomb boron arsenide (h-BAs) as a potential anode for alkali-metal (Li/Na/K)-ion batteries. The structural and dynamic stability has been confirmed from the formation energy and the non-negative phonon frequency. The h-BAs monolayer exhibits negative adsorption-energy values of -0.422, -0.321 and -0.814 eV, for the Li, Na, and K-ions, respectively. Subsequently, during the charging process the adsorption-energy increases considerably without an energy-barrier when any of the A-atoms achieve a crucial distance (∼8 Å). In addition, it has been observed that insertion of the mono alkali metal atom into the h-BAs surface results in the semi-conducting nature of the monolayer being transformed into a metallic-state. The low energy barriers for Li (0.522 eV), Na (0.248), and K (0.204 eV) active ion migration imply high diffusion over the h-BAs surface, hence suggesting it has a high charge/discharge capability. Moreover, we have obtained low average operating voltages of 0.49 V (Li), 0.35 V (Na) and 0.26 V (K) and high theoretical capacities of 522.08 mA h g^-1 (for Li and Na) and 209.46 mA h g^-1 (for K) in this study. The aforementioned findings indicate that a h-BAs monolayer could be a promising anode material in the search for low cost and high performance alkali metal ion batteries.