Simple surface treatment improves performance of carbon materials for sodium ion battery anodes
- Post by: nfp
- 13/05/2024
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Hard carbons are the most extended anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs); however, they suffer from several limitations such as low stability, poor rate performance and low initial Coulombic efficiency (iCE). Herein, a simple, fast, and low-cost surface treatment at room temperature using short-chain organic molecules has been applied to hard carbons. The carbons treated with thiol-containing molecules exhibit higher capacity (12-18 % capacity enhancement after 100th cycles vs untreated carbon). The introduction of these ligands leads to improved micropore blockage, helping in the reversible insertion of Na ions. Additionally, thiols promote the formation of a favourable NaF and Na2O-rich solid electrolyte interface (SEI) leading to faster sodium diffusion in the plateau region. Furthermore, when these treatments were applied to soft carbons, capacity improved up to a 30%. These results demonstrate the wide applicability of the method as a straightforward and efficient strategy for improving the electrochemical properties of carbon anodes used in SIBs.
Full article here.
NFP Research Area: Nanomaterials for energy, environment and safety