Inhibiting inter-layer gliding in transition metal layered oxides through interphase engineering for sodium-ion...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Battery Technology

Background:

• Layered oxide positive electrode materials in Na/Li-ion batteries suffer performance degradation due to inter-layer gliding.
• Restraining these phase transitions is a critical challenge for battery development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the mechanism of gliding-induced phase transitions.
• To propose and validate interphase engineering as a strategy to suppress these transitions.

Main Methods:

• Systematic structural analysis and energy calculations to understand gliding inhibition.
• Atomic-level electron microscopy and synchrotron X-ray diffraction for structure probing.
• Interphase engineering applied to P2/P3-Na0.46Mn0.9Ni0.1O2 and other X2/Y3 materials.

Main Results:

• A gliding-inhibition mechanism at the X2/Y3 interphase layer was identified.
• Engineered P2/P3 interphases effectively suppressed gliding and phase transitions.
• The modified Na0.46Mn0.9Ni0.1O2 material showed improved cycling stability and rate capability.
• The X2/Y3 interphase concept demonstrated broad applicability.

Conclusions:

• Interphase engineering is a viable strategy to mitigate phase transitions in layered oxide electrodes.
• Understanding interphase phenomena is key to designing high-performance sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries.
• This work provides a fundamental strategy for enhancing battery longevity and performance.