Ultra-fast green microwave assisted synthesis of NaFePO4-C nanocomposites for sodium ion batteries and supercapacitors

Wael Wazeer; Marwa M Nabil; Mohamed Feteha; Moataz B Soliman; Abd El-Hady B Kashyout

doi:10.1038/s41598-022-20329-x

Ultra-fast green microwave assisted synthesis of NaFePO₄-C nanocomposites for sodium ion batteries and supercapacitors

Sci Rep. 2022 Sep 29;12(1):16307. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-20329-x.

Authors

Wael Wazeer¹, Marwa M Nabil², Mohamed Feteha³, Moataz B Soliman³, Abd El-Hady B Kashyout⁴

Affiliations

¹ Electronic Materials Department, Advanced Technology and New Materials Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), P.O. Box 21934, New Borg El-Arab City, Alexandria, Egypt. wwa9001@gmail.com.
² Electronic Materials Department, Advanced Technology and New Materials Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), P.O. Box 21934, New Borg El-Arab City, Alexandria, Egypt.
³ Materials Science Department, Institute of Graduate Studies and Research, Alexandria University, 163 Horrya Avenue, Shatby, P.O. Box 832, Alexandria, 21526, Egypt.
⁴ Electronic Materials Department, Advanced Technology and New Materials Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), P.O. Box 21934, New Borg El-Arab City, Alexandria, Egypt. hady8@yahoo.com.

Abstract

Sodium ion batteries are favored in stationary and large scale power storage due to their low cost and nontoxicity. As the lithium is replaced with sodium due to the cost motive, a cheap processing method is needed to maintain the cell price as low as possible. We report an ultra-fast synthesis method that utilizes the high microwave absorbance of silicon carbide content in rice straw ash. Amorphous/maricite mixtures of sodium iron phosphates-carbon composites (NaFePO₄-C) are synthesized, crystallized, and carbon coated using one-step microwave heating. The sodium ion electroactive composites are prepared using different microwave heating durations ranging from 30 to 100 s. High purity inert gases are not needed during synthesis, processing, and even at cell assembly. The materials are characterized by elemental analysis techniques, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning/transmission electron microscope (SEM/TEM), and Raman spectroscopy. The electrochemical performance of the synthesized nanocomposites is examined as sodium ion battery cathode and as symmetric supercapacitors. The optimum synthesis time is 60 s for the application as sodium ion batteries and as a supercapacitor. The maximum specific capacity is 108.4 mA h g^-1 at 0.2 C in the case of using it as a battery cathode. While the capacitance is 86 F g^-1 at 0.5 A g^-1 as a supercapacitor. The capacity retention is 92.85% after 40 cycles at 0.2 C as sodium ion battery electrode. For supercapacitor, the capacity retention is 81.7% after 1000 cycles.