Molten salt synthesis of disordered spinel CoFe2O4 with improved electrochemical performance for sodium-ion batteries

Sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries are currently being investigated as an attractive substitute for lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries in large energy storage systems because of the more abundant and less expensive supply of Na than Li. However, the reversible capacity of Na-ions is limited because Na possesses a large ionic radius and has a higher standard electrode potential than that of Li, making it challenging to obtain electrode materials that are capable of storing large quantities of Na-ions. This study investigates the potential of CoFe2O4 synthesised via the molten salt method as an anode for Na-ion batteries. The obtained phase structure, morphology and charge and discharge properties of CoFe2O4 are thoroughly assessed. The synthesised CoFe2O4 has an octahedron morphology, with a particle size in the range of 1.1-3.6 μm and a crystallite size of ∼26 nm. Moreover, the CoFe2O4 (M800) electrodes can deliver a high discharge capacity of 839 mA h g-1 in the first cycle at a current density of 0.1 A g-1, reasonable cyclability of 98 mA h g-1 after 100 cycles and coulombic efficiency of ∼99%. The improved electrochemical performances of CoFe2O4 can be due to Na-ion-pathway shortening, wherein the homogeneity and small size of CoFe2O4 particles may enhance the Na-ion transportation. Therefore, this simple synthetic approach using molten salt favours the Na-ion diffusion and electron transport to a great extent and maximises the utilisation of CoFe2O4 as a potential anode material for Na-ion batteries.

Pseudocapacitive Lithium Storage of Cauliflower-Like CoFe2 O4 for Low-Temperature Battery Operation

Binary transition-metal oxides (BTMOs) with hierarchical micro-nano-structures have attracted great interest as potential anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, we report the fabrication of hierarchical cauliflower-like CoFe₂ O₄ (cl-CoFe₂ O₄ ) via a facile room-temperature co-precipitation method followed by post-synthetic annealing. The obtained cauliflower structure is constructed by the assembly of microrods, which themselves are composed of small nanoparticles. Such hierarchical micro-nano-structure can promote fast ion transport and stable electrode-electrolyte interfaces. As a result, the cl-CoFe₂ O₄ can deliver a high specific capacity (1019.9 mAh g^-1 at 0.1 A g^-1 ), excellent rate capability (626.0 mAh g^-1 at 5 A g^-1 ), and good cyclability (675.4 mAh g^-1 at 4 A g^-1 for over 400 cycles) as an anode material for LIBs. Even at low temperatures of 0 °C and -25 °C, the cl-CoFe₂ O₄ anode can deliver high capacities of 907.5 and 664.5 mAh g^-1 at 100 mA g^-1 , respectively, indicating its wide operating temperature. More importantly, the full-cell assembled with a commercial LiFePO₄ cathode exhibits a high rate performance (214.2 mAh g^-1 at 5000 mA g^-1 ) and an impressive cycling performance (612.7 mAh g^-1 over 140 cycles at 300 mA g^-1 ) in the voltage range of 0.5-3.6 V. Kinetic analysis reveals that the electrochemical performance of cl-CoFe₂ O₄ is dominated by pseudocapacitive behavior, leading to fast Li⁺ insertion/extraction and good cycling life.