Amylopectin-Assisted Fabrication of In Situ Carbon-Coated Na3V2(PO4)2F3 Nanosheets for Ultra-Fast Sodium Storage

Compositing pine pollen derived carbon matrix with Na4FeV(PO4)3 nanoparticle for cost-effective sodium-ion batteries cathode

Na super-ion conductor type material Na3V2(PO4)3 has been widely researched as the cathode of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) in recent years, but the unsatisfying cost of Na3V2(PO4)3 impedes its wide application in SIBs. In this study, iron element is used to replace part of vanadium in Na3V2(PO4)3 to reduce its expense, and pine pollen is applied for the first time as a very effective carbon source to improve the performance of Na4FeV(PO4)3. The fabricated composite material achieves a capacity of 105 mA h g-1 under 0.2 C and fascinating cycling stability over 94 % under 2 C for 500 cycles and 98 % under 10 C for 1000 cycles. The excellent cycle performance is caused by the involvement of pine pollen that acts as a carbon matrix to enhance the electron conductivity and block the agglomeration of active material effectively, thus the well-dispersed nano sized Na4FeV(PO4)3 shortens the diffusion path of sodium ion and gains a remarkable rate capability. Moreover, the distinguished reversibility during the charge and discharge procedures is ascribed also to the robust structure of Na4FeV(PO4)3. This work provides an efficient route to realize the economic cathode material of SIBs with good performance.

Microwave-Assisted Hydrothermal Synthesis of Na3V2(PO4)2F3 Nanocuboid@Reduced Graphene Oxide as an Ultrahigh-Rate and Superlong-Lifespan Cathode for Fast-Charging Sodium-Ion Batteries

Na3V2(PO4)2F3 (NVPF) has been regarded as a favorable cathode for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) due to its high voltage and stable structure. However, the limited electronic conductivity restricts its rate performance. NVPF@reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was synthesized by a facile microwave-assisted hydrothermal approach with subsequent calcination to shorten the hydrothermal time. NVPF nanocuboids with sizes of 50-150 nm distributed on rGO can be obtained, delivering excellent electrochemical performance such as a longevity life (a high capacity retention of 85.6% after 7000 cycles at 10 C) and distinguished rate capability (116 mAh g-1 at 50 C with a short discharging/charging time of 1.2 min). The full battery with a Cu2Se anode represents a capacity of 116 mAh g-1 at 0.2 A g-1. The introduction of rGO can augment the electronic conductivity and advance the Na+ diffusion speed, boosting the cycling and rate capability. Besides, the small lattice change (3.3%) and high structural reversibility during the phase transition process between Na3V2(PO4)2F3 and NaV2(PO4)2F3 testified by in situ X-ray diffraction are also advantageous for Na storage behavior. This work furnishes a simple method to synthesize polyanionic cathodes with ultrahigh rate and ultralong lifespan for fast-charging SIBs.

Engineering Crystal Growth and Surface Modification of Na3 V2 (PO4 )2 F3 Cathode for High-Energy-Density Sodium-Ion Batteries

Na₃ V₂ (PO₄ )₂ F₃ (NVPF) is a suitable cathode for sodium-ion batteries owing to its stable structure. However, the large radius of Na⁺ restricts diffusion kinetics during charging and discharging. Thus, in this study, a phosphomolybdic acid (PMA)-assisted hydrothermal method is proposed. In the hydrothermal process, the NVPF morphologies vary from bulk to cuboid with varying PMA contents. The optimal channel for accelerated Na⁺ transmission is obtained by cuboid NVPF. With nitrogen-doping of carbon, the conductivity of NVPF is further enhanced. Combined with crystal growth engineering and surface modification, the optimal nitrogen-doped carbon-covered NVPF cuboid (c-NVPF@NC) exhibits a high initial discharge capacity of 121 mAh g^-1 at 0.2 C. Coupled with a commercial hard carbon (CHC) anode, the c-NVPF@NC||CHC full battery delivers 118 mAh g^-1 at 0.2 C, thereby achieving a high energy density of 450 Wh kg^-1 . Therefore, this work provides a novel strategy for boosting electrochemical performance by crystal growth engineering and surface modification.