Interface Promoted Reversible Mg Insertion in Nanostructured Tin-Antimony Alloys

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Developing stable, high-capacity materials is crucial for advancing magnesium (Mg) batteries.
• Understanding the mechanisms behind material performance during Mg-ion hosting is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an interface-promoted strategy for designing stable and high-capacity Mg battery materials.
• To utilize tin-antimony (SnSb) alloys as model systems to investigate these interfacial effects.

Main Methods:

• Combined experimental investigations and theoretical studies.
• Analysis of SnSb alloys under repeated magnesiation-demagnesiation cycles.

Main Results:

• SnSb alloys exhibit a high reversible capacity of 420 mA h g⁻¹.
• Demonstrated excellent rate capability and good cyclic stability for Mg-ion hosting.
• Identified stabilization and promotion effects from interfaces between multicomponent phases.

Conclusions:

• The interface-promoted approach is effective for guiding the design of advanced Mg battery materials.
• The interfacial effects in SnSb alloys significantly contribute to their superior electrochemical performance.