Engineering Surface Oxygenated Functionalities on Commercial Carbon toward Ultrafast Sodium Storage in Ether-Based...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• High-capacity anode materials are essential for commercializing safe and high-energy-density sodium-ion batteries.
• Current strategies focus on carbonaceous anodes with expanded interlayer distances due to graphite's instability with sodium.
• Developing advanced anode materials is key to improving battery performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer a high-performance carbonaceous anode for sodium-ion batteries.
• To enhance sodium storage capacity and cycling stability using a novel surface functionalization and pore-forming strategy.
• To investigate the synergistic mechanisms responsible for the improved electrochemical performance.

Main Methods:

• A surface-functionalization and pore-forming strategy using a CO2 thermal etching route on commercial carbon.
• Engineering negligible oxygenated functionalities to boost the sodium storage process.
• Characterization of the microporous structure and pseudocapacitive behaviors.

Main Results:

• Achieved a high reversible capacity of 505 mA h g-1 at 50 mA g-1.
• Demonstrated excellent rate performance with 181 mA h g-1 at 16,000 mA g-1.
• Exhibited exceptional cycling stability with 176 mA h g-1 at 3200 mA g-1 over 1000 cycles.
• Identified a synergistic mechanism involving graphitic and amorphous structures for ion intercalation.
• Observed formation of a robust solid electrolyte interphase film favoring ion migration.

Conclusions:

• The engineered porous carbon exhibits outstanding electrochemical properties for sodium-ion battery anodes.
• The synergistic mechanism and favorable solid electrolyte interphase formation contribute to the remarkable performance.
• This approach offers a promising pathway for developing advanced carbonaceous anode materials for sodium-ion batteries.