Correction to “Better Cycling Performances of Bulk Sb in Na-Ion Batteries Compared to Li-Ion Systems: An Unexpected Electrochemical Mechanism”

Engineering Nanostructured Antimony-Based Anode Materials for Sodium Ion Batteries

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are considered a potential alternative to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) for energy storage due to their low cost and the large abundance of sodium resources. The search for new anode materials for SIBs has become a vital approach to satisfying the ever-growing demands for better performance with higher energy/power densities, improved safety and a longer cycle life. Recently, antimony (Sb) has been extensively researched as a promising candidate due to its high specific capacity through an alloying/dealloying process. In this review article, we will focus on different categories of the emerging Sb based anode materials with distinct sodium storage mechanisms including Sb, two-dimensional antimonene and antimony chalcogenide (Sb2S3 and Sb2Se3). For each part, we emphasize that the novel construction of an advanced nanostructured anode with unique structures could effectively improve sodium storage properties. We also highlight that sodium storage capability can be enhanced through designing advanced nanocomposite materials containing Sb based materials and other carbonaceous modification or metal supports. Moreover, the recent advances in operando/in-situ investigation of its sodium storage mechanism are also summarized. By providing such a systematic probe, we aim to stress the significance of novel nanostructures and advanced compositing that would contribute to enhanced sodium storage performance, thus making Sb based materials as promising anodes for next-generation high-performance SIBs.

Core@shell Sb@Sb2O3 nanoparticles anchored on 3D nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets as advanced anode materials for Li-ion batteries

Antimony (Sb) based materials are regarded as promising anode materials for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) because of the high capacity, appropriate working potential, and earth abundance of antimony. However, the quick capacity decay due to the huge volume expansion during the cycling process seriously hinders its practical applications. Here, a nanocomposite of core@shell Sb@Sb₂O₃ particles anchored on 3D porous nitrogen-doped carbon (3DNC) nanosheets is synthesized by freeze drying and sintering in a reducing atmosphere. Structural characterization shows that the developed Sb@Sb₂O₃/3DNC electrode has a high surface area (839.8 m² g^-1) and unique Sb-O-C bonding, both contributing to the excellent electrochemical performance. The initial charge and discharge specific capacities of the Sb@ Sb₂O₃/3DNC anode in LIB tests are 1109 mA h g^-1 and 1810 mA h g^-1, respectively. Also, it shows a charge capacity of 696.9 mA h g^-1 after 500 cycles at 1 A g^-1 and 458 mA h g^-1 at a current density of 5 A g^-1. Moreover, the assembled Sb@Sb₂O₃/3DNC‖LiNi_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2O₂ battery exhibits a discharge capacity of more than 100 mA h g^-1 after 25 cycles at 100 mA g^-1. The synthetic method can be extended to obtain other nanocomposites of metal and carbon materials for high-performance energy storage devices.

Porous Sb with three-dimensional Sb nanodendrites as electrode material for high-performance Li/Na-ion batteries

The increasing demand in energy consumption and the use of clean energy from sustainable energy sources have driven the research in the development of advanced materials for Li-ion and Na-ion batteries. In this work, we have developed a simple technique to synthesize a porous Sb structure through a galvanic replacement reaction between Sb³⁺ and Zn particles. The porous Sb structure consists of a three-dimensional-hierarchical structure with tree-like nanoscale Sb dendrites. The Sb in the nanodendrites is crystal of a rhombohedral structure. We construct Li-/Na-ion half cells and Li-/Na-ion full cells with the Sb nanodendrites as the active material in the working electrode and anode, respectively, and introduce an additive of vinylene carbonate for the Li-ion half/full cells and an additive of fluoroethylene carbonate for the Na-ion half/full cells. All the Li-/Na-ion half cells and Li-/Na-ion full cells exhibit excellent electrochemical performance and cycling stability. Such excellent performance can be attributed to the synergistic interaction between the three-dimensional-dendritic structure and electrolyte, which likely ensures fast transport of ions and electrons and the formation of a stable solid-state interphase.

Bipolymer-Cross-Linked Binder to Improve the Reversibility and Kinetics of Sodiation and Desodiation of Antimony for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Although the volume of antimony tremendously expands during the alloying reaction with sodium, it is considered a promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Repeated volume changes along the sodiation/desodiation cycles encourage capacity fading by triggering pulverization accompanying electrolyte decomposition. Additionally, the low cation transference number of sodium ions is another hindrance for application in SIBs. In this work, a binder was designed for the antimony in SIB cells to ensure bifunctionality and improve (1) the mechanical toughness to suppress the serious volume change and (2) the transference number of sodium ions. A cross-linked composite of poly(acrylic acid) and cyanoethyl pullulan (pullulan-CN) was presented as the binder. The polysaccharide backbone of pullulan-CN was responsible for the mechanical toughness, while the cyanoethyl groups of pullulan-CN improved the lithium-cation transfer. The antimony-based SIB cells using the composite binder showed improved cycle life with enhanced kinetics. The capacity was maintained at 76% of the initial value at the 200^th cycle of 1C discharge following 1C charge, while the capacity at 20C was 61% of the capacity at 0.2C, implying that the composite binder significantly improved the sodiation/desodiation reversibility of antimony.

A comparative study of pomegranate Sb@C yolk-shell microspheres as Li and Na-ion battery anodes

Alloy-based nanostructure anodes have the privilege of alleviating the challenges of large volume expansion and improving the cycling stability and rate performance for high energy lithium- and sodium-ion batteries (LIBs and SIBs). Yet, they face the dilemma of worsening the parasitic reactions at the electrode-electrolyte interface and low packing density for the fabrication of practical electrodes. Here, pomegranate Sb@C yolk-shell microspheres were developed as a high-performance anode for LIBs and SIBs with controlled interfacial properties and enhanced packing density. Although the same yolk-shell nanostructure (primary particle size, porosity) and three-dimensional architecture alleviated the volume change induced stress and swelling in both batteries, the SIBs show 99% capacity retention over 200 cycles, much better than the 78% capacity retention of the LIBs. The comparative electrochemical study and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterization revealed that the different SEIs, besides the distinct phase transition mechanism, played a critical role in the divergent cycling performance.

Amorphous Sb2S3 embedded in graphite: a high-rate, long-life anode material for sodium-ion batteries

A new design strategy for stable and high-rate sodium-ion battery anodes is presented.

Monodisperse antimony nanocrystals for high-rate Li-ion and Na-ion battery anodes: nano versus bulk

We report colloidal synthesis of antimony (Sb) nanocrystals with mean size tunable in the 10-20 nm range and with narrow size distributions of 7-11%. In comparison to microcrystalline Sb, 10 and 20 nm Sb nanocrystals exhibit enhanced rate-capability and higher cycling stability as anode materials in rechargeable Li-ion and Na-ion batteries. All three particle sizes of Sb possess high and similar Li-ion and Na-ion charge storage capacities of 580-640 mAh g(-1) at moderate charging/discharging current densities of 0.5-1C (1C-rate is 660 mA g(-1)). At all C-rates (0.5-20C, e.g. current densities of 0.33-13.2 Ag(1-)), capacities of 20 nm Sb particles are systematically better than for both 10 nm and bulk Sb. At 20C-rates, retention of charge storage capacities by 10 and 20 nm Sb nanocrystals can reach 78-85% of the low-rate value, indicating that rate capability of Sb nanostructures can be comparable to the best Li-ion intercalation anodes and is so far unprecedented for Na-ion storage.