A DFT study on graphene, SiC, BN, and AlN nanosheets as anodes in Na-ion batteries

BC6NA monolayer as an ideal anode material for high-performance sodium-ion batteries

Selecting an appropriate anode material (AM) has been considered to be a crucial initial step in advancing high-performance batteries. Within this piece of research, we examine the suitability of the BC6NA monolayer (referred to as BC6NAML) as an AM by first-principles calculations. The BC6NAML exhibits metallic behavior consistently, even with varying concentrations of Na atoms, making it an ideal choice for battery usages. Our findings revealed that the theoretical storage capacity for Na-adhered BC6NAML was 406.36 mAhg-1, surpassing graphite, TiO2, BC6NA, and numerous other 2D materials. The BC6NAML also demonstrates a diffusion barrier of 0.39 eV and favorable diffusivity of Na-ions. Although the open-circuit voltage (OCV) of BC6NAML was temperate and lower compared to the OCV of other AMs like TiO2, our results suggested that it is possible to utilize BC6NAML as one of the encouraging host materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Consequently, this investigation into the potential anodic application of BC6NAML proves valuable for future experimental studies into sodium storage for SIBs.

Prospective utilization of boron nitride and beryllium oxide nanotubes for Na, Li, and K-ion batteries: a DFT-based analysis

CONTEXT

In the present work, we investigated the adsorption mechanism of natural sodium (Na), potassium (K), and lithium (Li) atoms and their respective ion on two nanostructures: boron-nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) and beryllium-oxide nanotubes (BeONTs). The main goal of this research is to calculate the gain voltage for Na, K, and Li ionic batteries. Density function theory (DFT) calculations indicated that the adsorption energy between Na + is higher than that of the other cations, and this is particularly clear in the BeONT. Furthermore, gain voltage calculations showed that BNNTs generate a higher potential than BeONTs, with the most significant difference observed in BNNT/Na + . This research provides theoretical insights into the potential uses of these nanostructures as anodes in Na, K, and Li-ion batteries.

METHOD

Density function theory used to compute the ground state properties for BeONT and BNNT with and without selected atoms and their ions (Li, K, and Na). B3LYP used for exchange correlation between electrons and ions, and 6-31G* basis set used for all atoms and ions. Gauss Sum 2.2 software used for estimate the density of state (DOS) for all structure under investigation.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons as Anode Materials in Lithium-Ion Batteries: A DFT Study

The structure and energetics of the interactive behavior of Li⁺ and Li with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been studied at the wB97XD/6-311G(d,p) level of DFT. The electron distribution in the PAHs, analyzed using the topology of the molecular electrostatic potential (MESP), led to the categorization of their aromatic rings into five types, viz R_s, R_n, R_d, R_b, and R_e. Among the different rings, sextet-type R_s and naphthalene-type R_n rings showed the highest interaction with Li⁺. The change in MESP at the nucleus of Li⁺ (ΔV_Li⁺) due to the formation of the complex Li⁺...PAH is found to be proportional to the adsorption energy (E₁). In Li...PAH, the spin density on Li is close to zero, suggesting the formation of Li⁺...PAH^•- due to the electron transfer from Li to PAH. The adsorption energy (E₂) for Li...PAH does not correlate with the change in MESP at the nucleus of Li, whereas the dissociation energy (E₃) of Li⁺...PAH^•- to yield Li⁺ and PAH^•- correlates well with the MESP data, ΔV_Li. The study confirms that the change in MESP at the nucleus of Li⁺ due to complex formation gives a quantitative measure of the electronic effect of the cation-π binding. The cell potential (V_cell) is predicted for the lithium ion battery (LIB) using the Li⁺...PAH and Li...PAH adsorption energies. On the basis of the V_cell data, "carbon nanoflake"-type systems, viz coronene, circumbiphenyl, C₄₂H₁₆, and C₅₀H₁₈ are suggested as good anode materials for LIBs.

The adsorption of cathinone drug on the platinum decorated silicon carbide nanosheets: DFT studies

Cathinone (CTN), classified as stimulants, is one of the psychoactive drugs. Although the sale of CTN was controlled by international drug laws, it was still sold on the internet, and its overdose caused many deaths worldwide. As chemical sensors, two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have drawn attention to be used in various biological molecules. In the current study, the sensing characteristics of the intrinsic SiC monolayer (SiCM) and its Pt-decorated state (Pt@SiCM) were scrutinized toward the CTN drug by utilizing density functional theory (DFT) calculations. It was illustrated that the SiCM sensing response to CTN is insignificant (~ 10.6 at 298 K) due to the weak interaction with the adsorption energy of -0.25 eV. After the decoration of Pt on the SiCM, it was adsorbed above a hexagonal ring, which formed an η⁶-Pt half-sandwich and the adsorption energy was -3.62 eV. It was found that the Pt@SiCM strongly adsorbed CTN and the adsorption energy was -1.60 eV. Therefore, Pt-decoration augmented the SiCM sensing response to CTN from 10.3 to 716.6. The recovery time obtained for the CTN desorption from the Pt@SiCM surface was 12.7 s, which was short. It was concluded that Pt-decoration makes the SiCM a favorable candidate for CTN identification.

A computational study on the BN-yne sheet application in the Na-ion batteries

Although Li-ion batteries are extensively applied, short lifetime, high cost, and safety problems limit their application. Na-ion batteries (NIB) might be an alternative to the Li-ion owing to wide availability, low cost, and nontoxicity of Na. Here, we performed density functional theory calculations to investigate the possible application of a graphyne-like BN layer (BN-yne) in the anode of NIBs. The adsorption energies of Na and Na⁺ on the BN-yne are predicted to be -15.3 and -54.6 kcal/mol, respectively. It was found that the maximum barrier energy for migration of Na atom and Na⁺ ion through BN-yne surface is about 20.2 and 16.5 kcal/mol, respectively. The calculated cell voltage for the BN-yne are predicted to be and 1.70 V. Using an electric field of -0.02 a. u. much more strengthens the interaction of Na⁺ with the BN-yne compared to the Na atom, increasing the cell voltage of NIB to 2.10 eV. We showed that a high Na storage capacity (Na₄B₂N₂), high cell voltage and diffusion ability of BN-yne make it a promising candidate for the NIB anode material.

First principles study of SiC as the anode in sodium ion batteries

The application of sodium ion batteries (NIB) for use as rechargeable energy storage devices is yet under research due to limited knowledge on electrode materials.

A DFT study on nanocones, nanotubes (4,0), nanosheets and fullerene C60 as anodes in Mg-ion batteries

In this article, we studied the interactions between Mg atom and Mg²⁺ ion and four nanostructures, including a nanocone, nanotube (4,0), nanosheet, and C₆₀ nanocage, to obtain the cell voltages (V) for Mg-ion batteries (MIBs). Total energy, geometry optimization, frontier molecular orbital (FMO) and density of states (DOS) analyses have been performed using the ωB97XD level of theory and the 6-31G(d) basis set. The DFT calculations clarified that the changes in energy adsorption between Mg²⁺ ion and the nanostructures, E_ad, are in the order tube > cone > sheet > cage. However, V_cell for the nanocone is the highest. The changes in V_cell of the MIBs are in the order cone > tube > sheet > cage. This study theoretically considers the possibilities of Mg as an anode in batteries due to its high V_cell values.

In this article, we studied the interactions between Mg atom and Mg²⁺ ion and four nanostructures, including a nanocone, nanotube (4,0), nanosheet, and C₆₀ nanocage, to obtain the cell voltages (V) for Mg-ion batteries (MIBs).