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Characterization of Electrode Materials for Lithium Ion and Sodium Ion Batteries Using Synchrotron Radiation Techniques
Published on: November 11, 2013
Probing Into the NiO Segregation Mechanism for Optimized Synthesis of High-Capacity Sodium-Ion Layered Cathodes
Xiaodong Qi1,2, Chao-Hui Zhang1, Xiao-Chuan Su1,2
1Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Laboratory of Molecular Nanostructure and Nanotechnology, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P. R. China.
Small Methods
|May 23, 2026
Summary
High nickel content in layered oxide cathodes boosts sodium-ion battery capacity but causes impurities. A new low-temperature method with excess sodium prevents these impurities, enabling high-energy batteries.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Energy Storage
Background:
- High-capacity transition-metal layered oxide cathodes are essential for high-energy sodium-ion batteries.
- Increasing nickel content in O3-type cathodes enhances capacity but leads to NiO impurities during synthesis, reducing performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the mechanism of NiO impurity formation in nickel-rich layered oxide cathodes.
- To develop a method for eliminating NiO impurities and improving cathode performance for sodium-ion batteries.
Main Methods:
- Investigated NiO formation mechanism driven by sodium volatilization during high-temperature sintering.
- Developed a low-temperature annealing method with excess sodium to remove NiO impurities.
Main Results:
- Identified lattice sodium volatilization as the cause of NiO formation at elevated temperatures.
- Optimized a NiO-free cathode (NaNi0.41Zn0.01Fe0.11Mn0.32Ti0.1Al0.05O2) with high reversible capacity (156 mAh g-1 at 0.1C) and excellent cycling stability (91.3% retention after 100 cycles).
Conclusions:
- The low-temperature annealing method effectively eliminates NiO impurities in nickel-rich layered cathodes.
- This approach shows significant promise for the practical realization of high-energy sodium-ion batteries.
