Toward a High-Energy-Density Cathode with Enhanced Temperature Adaptability for Sodium-Ion Batteries: A Case Study of Na3MnZr(PO4)3 Microspheres with Embedded Dual-Carbon Networks

Xudong Ma; Xuehang Wu; Yong Liu; Wenwei Wu; Zhiyi Pan; Pei Kang Shen

doi:10.1021/acsami.1c03642

Toward a High-Energy-Density Cathode with Enhanced Temperature Adaptability for Sodium-Ion Batteries: A Case Study of Na₃MnZr(PO₄)₃ Microspheres with Embedded Dual-Carbon Networks

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2021 May 12;13(18):21390-21400. doi: 10.1021/acsami.1c03642. Epub 2021 Apr 30.

Authors

Xudong Ma^{1

2}, Xuehang Wu², Yong Liu¹, Wenwei Wu², Zhiyi Pan³, Pei Kang Shen³

Affiliations

¹ School of Materials Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, P. R. China.
² Guangxi Key Laboratory of Processing for Non-ferrous Metals and Featured Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, P. R. China.
³ Collaborative Innovation Center of Sustainable Energy Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, P. R. China.

PMID: 33928780
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c03642

Abstract

Polyanionic cathode materials that have high energy density and good temperature adaptability are in high demand for practical applications in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). In this study, a scalable spray-drying strategy has been proposed to construct interconnected conductive networks composed of amorphous carbon and reduced graphene oxide in Na₃MnZr(PO₄)₃ microspheres (NMZP@C-rGO). The dual-carbon conductive networks provide fast electron migration pathways in the microspheres. Moreover, they significantly increase the porosity and specific surface area of the microspheres, which are conducive to accommodating the volume change and improving the electrode/electrolyte contact interface and the contribution of the pseudocapacitance effect to achieve fast sodium storage. As a result, NMZP@C-rGO exhibits excellent rate performance (50.9 mAh g^-1 at 50C and 30 °C, 35.4 mAh g^-1 at 50C and -15 °C) and long-term cycling stability (capacity retentions of 97.4 and 79.6% after 1500 cycles at 30 and -15 °C, respectively) in a wide temperature range.

Keywords: Na3MnZr(PO4)3; dual carbon; electrochemical performance; sodium-ion batteries; temperature adaptability.