Innovative synthesis and comprehensive electrochemical evaluation of FeVO4 for enhanced sodium-ion battery performance

Abstract

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are emerging as a viable alternative to the more costly and resource-constrained lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), especially in meeting the increasing need for large-scale energy storage. A significant challenge for SIBs lies in the exploration of the advanced anode materials. FeVO4 (FVO) nanoparticles were synthesized through both wet chemical and solid-phase methods by using citric acid monohydrate and ferric nitrate nonahydrate as blowing agents. XRD and TEM characterization reveals the presence of a large (101) interlayer spacing (∼4.46 Å) that accommodates the insertion and extraction of sodium ions (Na+). As anode material for storing Na+, FVO demonstrates an impressive discharge capacity of 326.5 mAh g−1 when cycling at a rate of 0.1 A g−1 over 300 cycles. In addition, the NaFePO4||FeVO4 full cell provides a discharge specific capacity of 102.8 mAh g−1 at 0.1C (1C = 154 mAg−1). The dynamic properties of the FVO/Na battery are revealed by pseudo-capacitance analysis and GITT tests. Meanwhile, the storage mechanism of Na+ is further analyzed by XPS, TEM, in-situ XRD and density functional theory calculations. Overall, this work presents new insights into the application of FeVO4 in SIBs and also demonstrates the competitive potential of FeVO4 for energy storage.