High-Entropy and Component Stoichiometry Tuning Strategies Boost the Sodium-Ion Storage Performance of Cobalt-Free...

Prussian blue analogs (PBAs) are appealing cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries because of their low material cost, facile synthesis methods, rigid open framework, and high theoretical capacity. However, the poor electrical conductivity, unavoidable presence of [Fe(CN)₆] vacancies and crystalline water within the framework, and phase transition during charge-discharge result in inferior electrochemical performance, particularly in terms of rate capability and cycling stability. Here, cobalt-free PBAs are synthesized using a facile and economic co-precipitation method at room temperature, and their sodium-ion storage performance is boosted due to the reduced crystalline water content and improved electrical conductivity via the high-entropy and component stoichiometry tuning strategies, leading to enhanced initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE), specific capacity, cycling stability, and rate capability. The optimized HE-HCF of Fe_0.60Mn_0.10-hexacyanoferrate (referred to as Fe_0.60Mn_0.10-HCF), with the chemical formula Na_1.156Fe_0.599Mn_0.095Ni_0.092Cu_0.109Zn_0.105 [Fe(CN)₆]_0.724·3.11H₂O, displays the most appealing electrochemical performance of an ICE of 100%, a specific capacity of around 115 and 90 mAh·g^-1 at 0.1 and 1.0 A·g^-1, with 66.7% capacity retention observed after 1000 cycles and around 61.4% capacity retention with a 40-fold increase in specific current. We expect that our findings could provide reference strategies for the design of SIB cathode materials with superior electrochemical performance.