Triclinic Na3.12Co2.44(P2O7)2 as a High Redox Potential Cathode Material for Na-Ion Batteries

Abstract

Two types of sodium cobalt pyrophosphates, triclinic Na3.12Co2.44(P2O7)2 and orthorhombic Na2CoP2O7, are compared as high-voltage cathode materials for Na-ion batteries. Na2CoP2O7 shows no electrochemical activity, delivering negligible capacity. In contrast, Na3.12Co2.44(P2O7)2 exhibits good electrochemical performance, such as high redox potential at ca. 4.3 V (vs. Na/Na+) and stable capacity retention over 50 cycles, although Na3.12Co2.44(P2O7)2 delivered approximately 40 mA h g−1. This is attributed to the fact that Na2CoP2O7 (~3.1 à ) has smaller diffusion channel size than Na3.12Co2.44(P2O7)2 (~4.2 à ). Moreover, the electrochemical performance of Na3.12Co2.44(P2O7)2 is examined using Na cells and Li cells. The overpotential of Na cells is smaller than that of Li cells. This is due to the fact that Na3.12Co2.44(P2O7)2 has a smaller charge transfer resistance and higher diffusivity for Na+ ions than Li+ ions. This implies that the large channel size of Na3.12Co2.44(P2O7)2 is more appropriate for Na+ ions than Li+ ions. Therefore, Na3.12Co2.44(P2O7)2 is considered a promising high-voltage cathode material for Na-ion batteries, if new electrolytes, which are stable above 4.5 V vs. Na/Na+, are introduced. Keywords: Na-ion batteries, Cathode, Off-stoichiometry, Pyrophosphate