Interfacial Covalent Bonding Endowing Ti₃ C₂ -Sb₂ S₃ Composites High Sodium Storage Performance

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Antimony sulfide (Sb2S3) exhibits high theoretical capacity for sodium-ion battery (SIB) anodes.
• Challenges include poor structural stability and slow reaction kinetics, limiting practical applications.
• Anchoring Sb2S3 onto 2D conductive materials via covalent linkages is a promising strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize Ti3C2-Sb2S3 composites for SIB anodes.
• To investigate the role of interfacial covalent bonding in enhancing electrochemical performance.
• To demonstrate the potential of this strategy for developing advanced SIB anode materials.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of Ti3C2-Sb2S3 composites with Sb2S3 uniformly anchored on Ti3C2Tx MXene.
• Characterization of covalent bonding (Ti-O-Sb, S-Ti) at the interface.
• Electrochemical testing of the composite as an anode in SIBs, including cycling stability and rate capability.

Main Results:

• Successful formation of Ti3C2-Sb2S3 composites with strong interfacial covalent linkages.
• Ti3C2Tx MXene acts as a conductive buffer, improving structural integrity and charge transfer.
• The Ti3C2-Sb2S3 anode achieved a high reversible capacity of 475 mAh g-1 at 0.2 A g-1 after 300 cycles and 410 mAh g-1 at 1.0 A g-1 after 500 cycles.

Conclusions:

• The developed interfacial covalent bonding strategy effectively addresses the stability and kinetic issues of Sb2S3 anodes.
• Ti3C2-Sb2S3 composites demonstrate excellent electrochemical performance, highlighting the importance of interfacial engineering.
• This approach offers a pathway for designing high-performance anode materials for next-generation sodium-ion batteries.