Synergetic Sn Incorporation-Zn Substitution in Copper-Based Sulfides Enabling Superior Na-Ion Storage

Transition-metal sulfides have been regarded as perspective anode candidates for high-energy Na-ion batteries. Their application, however, is precluded severely by either low charge storage or huge volumetric change along with sluggish reaction kinetics. Herein, an effective synergetic Sn incorporation-Zn substitution strategy is proposed based on copper-based sulfides. First, Na-ion storage capability of copper sulfide is significantly improved via incorporating an alloy-based Sn element. However, this process is accompanied by sacrifice of structural stability due to the high Na-ion uptake. Subsequently, to maintain the high Na-ion storage capacity, and concurrently improve cycling and rate capabilities, a Zn substitution strategy (taking partial Sn sites) is carried out, which could significantly promote Na-ion diffusion/reaction kinetics and relieve mechanical strain-stress within the crystal framework. The synergetic Sn incorporation and Zn substitution endow copper-based sulfides with high specific capacity (≈560 mAh g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 ), ultrastable cyclability (80 k cycles with ≈100% capacity retention), superior rate capability up to 200 A g-1 , and ultrafast charging feature (≈4 s per charging with ≈190 mAh g-1 input). This work provides in-depth insights for developing superior anode materials via synergetic multi-cation incorporation/substitution, aiming at solving their intrinsic issues of either low specific capacity or poor cyclability.

Engineering Microstructure of a Robust Polymer Anode by Moderate Pyrolysis for High-Performance Sodium Storage

Polymer anodes have inspired considerable research interest for Na-ion batteries (NIBs) owing to their high structural flexibility and resource sustainability but are limited by the sluggish electrode kinetics, insufficient cyclability, and inferior electronic conductivity which usually made a large fraction (20-50 wt %) of conductive carbon additive necessitated. Herein, using a polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) anode as an example, we demonstrated that a moderate pyrolysis of the polymer anode could not only reduce its optical bandgap to enhance its electronic conductivity but also tune its microstructures to facilitate Na+ transfer/storage and sustain the repeated sodiation/desodiation. When used as NIBs anode with 10 wt % conductive carbon adding for preparing the electrode film, the moderate-pyrolysis PCN can promise high specific capacity (351 mAh g-1 at 0.1C), superb rate capability (151 and 95 mAh g-1 at 10C and 20C, respectively), and ultrastable cyclability (88.5% capacity retention after 6500 cycles at 2C). This comprehensive battery performance is much better than that of the previously reported organic counterparts. Our finding opened a new avenue in designing high-performance polymer anode for Na-ion batteries.

Ultrafast Potassium Storage in F-Induced Ultra-High Edge-Defective Carbon Nanosheets

Carbonaceous materials have been considered as promising anodes for potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) because of their high electronic conductivity, eco-friendliness, and structural stability. However, the small interlayer spacing and serious volume expansion caused by the repeated insertion/extraction of large K-ions restrict their potassium-ion storage performance. Herein, F and N codoped carbon nanosheets (FNCS) with rich-edge defects are designed to resolve these problems. The F doping is in favor of the formation of more edge defects in the carbon layer, offering strong K⁺ adsorption capability and promoting the K⁺ storage. The ultrathin carbon nanosheets can provide a large contact area for the electrochemical reactions and shorten the transportation pathways for both K-ions and electrons. Consequently, the FNCS anode shows a high reversible capacity (610 mAh g^-1 at 0.1 A g^-1) and ultrastable cyclability over 4000 cycles at 5 A g^-1. Moreover, K-ion full cells (FNCS|K₂FeFe(CN)₆) display excellent cycling stability (128 mAh g^-1 at 1 A g^-1 after 500 cycles) and rate capability (93 mAh g^-1 at 20 A g^-1). This design strategy can be extended to design other electrode materials for high-performance energy storage, such as magnesium-ion batteries, supercapacitors, and electrocatalysis.