Sb Nanoparticles Embedded in a Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Matrix with Tuned Voids and Interfacial Bonds for High‐Rate Lithium Storage

Antimony Nanoparticles Encapsulated in Self-Supported Organic Carbon with a Polymer Network for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries Anode

Antimony (Sb) demonstrates ascendant reactive activation with lithium ions thanks to its distinctive puckered layer structure. Compared with graphite, Sb can reach a considerable theoretical specific capacity of 660 mAh g-1 by constituting Li3Sb safer reaction potential. Hereupon, with a self-supported organic carbon as a three-dimensional polymer network structure, Sb/carbon (3DPNS-Sb/C) composites were produced through a hydrothermal reaction channel followed by a heat disposal operation. The unique structure shows uniformitarian Sb nanoparticles wrapped in a self-supported organic carbon, alleviating the volume extension of innermost Sb alloying, and conducive to the integrality of the construction. When used as anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), 3DPNS-Sb/C exhibits a high invertible specific capacity of 511.5 mAh g-1 at a current density of 0.5 A g-1 after 100 cycles and a remarkable rate property of 289.5 mAh g-1 at a current density of 10 A g-1. As anodes, LIBs demonstrate exceptional electrochemical performance.

Colloidal chemical bottom-up synthesis routes of pnictogen (As, Sb, Bi) nanostructures with tailored properties and applications: a summary of the state of the art and main insights

Adjusting the colloidal chemistry synthetic parameters for pnictogen nanostructures leads to a fine control of their physical properties and the resulting performance in applications. Image adapted from Slidesgo.com.

Freestanding Na3V2O2(PO4)2F/Graphene Aerogels as High-Performance Cathodes of Sodium-Ion Full Batteries

Although sodium vanadium fluorophosphate, Na₃(VO_1-xPO₄)₂F_1+2x (0 ≤ x ≤ 1), is a highly promising cathode candidate for sodium-ion batteries because of its stable structure and high working voltage, the low charge diffusion dynamics and the inactive materials used in traditional coating electrodes reduce the energy density of a sodium-ion full battery. Hence, Na₃V₂O₂(PO₄)₂F/graphene aerogels (NVPF/GAs) with a three-dimensional continuous porous network are first prepared by coassembly and freeze-drying. The three-dimensional porous network helps to obtain a high NVPF content of 81 wt %, relieve the volume change for improving the cyclability, and enhance the wettability of the electrode with the electrolyte for accelerating the diffusion dynamics of sodium ions and electrons. As a directly used freestanding cathode without the use of any binder/collector, an optimized freestanding NVPF/GA electrode exhibits excellent cycling and rate performances compared to traditional coating electrodes. The average capacities at current densities of 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 5.0 C are 135.4, 128.0, 125.1, 121.9, and 115.1 mA h g^-1, respectively. Especially, it maintains a capacity retention of 100% after 1000 cycles at an ultrahigh current of 40 C. A sodium-ion full battery with the NVPF/GA cathode and the Sb/graphene/carbon anode attains a of 82.1 mA h g^-1 without an obvious decline after 100 cycles.