Sodium-ion batteries: Chemistry of biomass derived disordered carbon in carbonate and ether-based electrolytes

Extended Battery Compatibility Consideration from an Electrolyte Perspective

The performance of electrochemical batteries is intricately tied to the physicochemical environments established by their employed electrolytes. Traditional battery designs utilizing a single electrolyte often impose identical anodic and cathodic redox conditions, limiting the ability to optimize redox environments for both anode and cathode materials. Consequently, advancements in electrolyte technologies are pivotal for addressing these challenges and fostering the development of next-generation high-performance electrochemical batteries. This review categorizes perspectives on electrolyte technology into three key areas: additives engineering, comprehensive component analysis encompassing solvents and solutes, and the effects of concentration. By summarizing significant studies, the efficacy of electrolyte engineering is highlighted, and the review advocates for further exploration of optimized component combinations. This review primarily focuses on liquid electrolyte technologies, briefly touching upon solid-state electrolytes due to the former greater vulnerability to electrode and electrolyte interfacial effects. The ultimate goal is to generate increased awareness within the battery community regarding the holistic improvement of battery components through optimized combinations.

Highly Stable ZnS Anodes for Sodium-Ion Batteries Enabled by Structure and Electrolyte Engineering

Zinc sulfide is a promising high-capacity anode for practical sodium-ion batteries, considering its high capacity and the low cost of zinc and sulfur sources. However, the pulverization of particulate zinc sulfide causes active mass collapse and penetration-induced short circuits of batteries. Herein, a zinc sulfide encapsulated in a nitrogen-doped carbon shell (ZnS@NC) was developed for high-performance anodes. The confinement effect of nitrogen-doped carbon stabilizes the active mass structure during cycling thanks to the robust chemically and electronically bonded connections between nitrogen-doped carbon and zinc sulfide nanoparticles. Furthermore, the cycling stability of the ZnS@NC anode is boosted by the robust inorganic-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formed in cyclic and linear ether-based electrolytes. The ZnS@NC anode displayed a reversible specific capacity of 584 mAh g-1, an excellent rate capability of 327 mAh g-1 at 70 A g-1, and a highly stable cycling performance over 10000 cycles. This work provides a practical and promising approach to designing stable conversion anodes for high-performance sodium-ion batteries.

Enhanced Sodium Ion Batteries' Performance: Optimal Strategies on Electrolytes for Different Carbon-based Anodes

Carbon-based materials have emerged as promising anodes for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to the merits of cost-effectiveness and renewability. However, the unsatisfactory performance has hindered the commercialization of SIBs. During the past decades, tremendous attention has been put into enhancing the electrochemical performance of carbon-based anodes from the perspective of improving the compatibility of electrolytes and electrodes. Hence, a systematic summary of strategies for optimizing electrolytes between hard carbon, graphite, and other structural carbon anodes of SIBs is provided. The formulations and properties of electrolytes with solvents, salts, and additives added are comprehensively presented, which are closely related to the formation of solid electrolyte interface (SEI) and crucial to the sodium ion storage performance. Cost analysis of commonly used electrolytes has been provided as well. This review is anticipated to provide guidance in future rational tailoring of electrolytes with carbon-based anodes for sodium-ion batteries.

In-situ synthesis of FeS/N, S co-doped carbon composite with electrolyte-electrode synergy for rapid sodium storage

Pyrrhotite (FeS) is extensively investigated as the anode for low-cost sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to their natural abundance and high theoretical capacity. However, it suffers from significant volume expansion and poor conductivity. These problems can be alleviated by promoting sodium-ion transport and introducing carbonaceous materials. Here, FeS decorated on N, S co-doped carbon (FeS/NC) is constructed through a facile and scalable strategy, which is the best of both worlds. Moreover, to give full play to the role of the optimized electrode, ether-based and ester-based electrolytes are used for matching. Reassuringly, the FeS/NC composite displays a reversible specific capacity of 387 mAh g^-1 after 1000 cycles at 5A g^-1 in dimethyl ether electrolyte. The even distribution of FeS nanoparticles on the ordered framework of carbon guarantees a fast electron/Na-ion transport channel, and the reaction kinetics can be further accelerated in the dimethyl ether (DME) electrolyte, ensuring the excellent rate capability and cycling performance of FeS/NC electrodes for sodium-ion storage. This finding not only provides a reference for the introduction of carbon via in-situ growth protocol, but also demonstrates the necessity for electrolyte-electrode synergy in realizing efficient sodium-ion storage.