Abstract
There is a great deal of current interest in the development of rechargeable sodium (Na)-ion batteries (SIBs) for low-cost, large-scale stationary energy storage systems. For the commercial success of this technology, significant progress should be made in developing robust anode (negative electrode) materials with high capacity and long cycle life. Sn-P compounds are considered promising anode materials that have considerable potential to meet the required performance of SIBs, and they have been typically prepared by high-energy mechanical milling. Here, we report Sn-P-based anodes synthesised through solvothermal transformation of Sn metal and their electrochemical Na storage properties. The temperature and time period used for solvothermal treatment play a crucial role in determining the phase, microstructure, and composition of the Sn-P compound and thus its electrochemical performance. The Sn-P compound prepared under an optimised solvothermal condition shows excellent electrochemical performance as an SIB anode, as evidenced by a high reversible capacity of ~560 mAh g−1 at a current density of 100 mA g−1 and cycling stability for 100 cycles. The solvothermal route provides an effective approach to synthesising Sn-P anodes with controlled phases and compositions, thus tailoring their Na storage behaviour.
Highlights
Have the ability to store Na via electrochemical alloying reactions, leading to much higher specific capacities (500–700 mAh g−1) in comparison to carbonaceous materials[12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19]
Large volume changes of these materials (e.g., ~420% for Sn) upon sodiation and desodiation result in significant capacity decay during repeated discharge–charge cycles, which hinders their practical use in SIBs13,18,20
Sn-P compounds were synthesised via a solvothermal method, which is known to allow for easy and precise control of the crystallinity, phase, and composition of reaction products[27,28]
Summary
Have the ability to store Na via electrochemical alloying reactions, leading to much higher specific capacities (500–700 mAh g−1) in comparison to carbonaceous materials[12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19]. Large volume changes of these materials (e.g., ~420% for Sn) upon sodiation and desodiation result in significant capacity decay during repeated discharge–charge cycles, which hinders their practical use in SIBs13,18,20. We report Sn-P compounds synthesised via a facile solvothermal route and their electrochemical behaviour as SIB anodes. Sn-P compounds were prepared by the solvothermal reaction of Sn metal and red P in ethylenediamine under various conditions and their Na storage behaviour was investigated to determine the synthesis–phase (structure/composition)–property relationship. As will be shown later, the Na storage capability of the solvothermally synthesised Sn-P compound strongly depends on its phase and composition. The Sn-P compound prepared under an optimised solvothermal condition shows a high reversible capacity of ~560 mAh g−1 and excellent cycling stability for 100 cycles as a result of its controlled phase and composition
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