Preparation and application of high-performance sodium-ion batteries cathode material Na3.6Fe2.6(PO4)1.6P2O7 with optimized sodium-iron ratio

Abstract

Na4Fe3(PO4)2P2O7 (NFPP) has been developed as the most promising polyanion cathode for sodium-ion batteries due to its excellent electrochemical performance, high safety properties, and environmental friendliness. However, the electrochemically inactive impurity (m-NaFePO4) will inevitably generate during synthesis process, which decreases the practical capacity of NFPP significantly. In this paper, a novel Na3.6Fe2.6(PO4)1.6P2O7 cathode material with excellent performance is successfully exploited by optimizing sodium-iron ratio to reduce the formation of impurity phases. In a series of as-prepared materials with sodium-iron ratio between 1.33–1.50, Na3.6Fe2.6(PO4)1.6P2O7 exhibits the highest discharge specific capacity (110.3 mAh g−1 at 0.1C), best rate capability (84.4 mAh g−1 at 30 C) and cycle performance (78.2 % capacity retention after 3000 cycles at 20 C). Furthermore, 20 Kg of the Na3.6Fe2.6(PO4)1.6P2O7 cathode material is prepared by spray drying method, which has been successfully applied in sodium-ion pouch cells (12 Ah) with a commercial hard carbon as the anode materials. The assembled pouch cells display excellent cycle performance (82.4 % capacity retention after 2000 cycles at 1 C), rate capability (88 % capacity retention at 30 C) and low-temperature performance (74 % capacity retention at −40 °C).