Sodium-ion batteries: present and future
19 Jun 2017-Chemical Society Reviews (The Royal Society of Chemistry)-Vol. 46, Iss: 12, pp 3529-3614
TL;DR: Current research on materials is summarized and discussed and future directions for SIBs are proposed to provide important insights into scientific and practical issues in the development of S IBs.
Abstract: Energy production and storage technologies have attracted a great deal of attention for day-to-day applications. In recent decades, advances in lithium-ion battery (LIB) technology have improved living conditions around the globe. LIBs are used in most mobile electronic devices as well as in zero-emission electronic vehicles. However, there are increasing concerns regarding load leveling of renewable energy sources and the smart grid as well as the sustainability of lithium sources due to their limited availability and consequent expected price increase. Therefore, whether LIBs alone can satisfy the rising demand for small- and/or mid-to-large-format energy storage applications remains unclear. To mitigate these issues, recent research has focused on alternative energy storage systems. Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are considered as the best candidate power sources because sodium is widely available and exhibits similar chemistry to that of LIBs; therefore, SIBs are promising next-generation alternatives. Recently, sodiated layer transition metal oxides, phosphates and organic compounds have been introduced as cathode materials for SIBs. Simultaneously, recent developments have been facilitated by the use of select carbonaceous materials, transition metal oxides (or sulfides), and intermetallic and organic compounds as anodes for SIBs. Apart from electrode materials, suitable electrolytes, additives, and binders are equally important for the development of practical SIBs. Despite developments in electrode materials and other components, there remain several challenges, including cell design and electrode balancing, in the application of sodium ion cells. In this article, we summarize and discuss current research on materials and propose future directions for SIBs. This will provide important insights into scientific and practical issues in the development of SIBs.
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TL;DR: The latest progress for alloy-based anodes for SIBs and PIBs is summarized, mainly including Sn, Sb, Ge, Bi, Si, P, and their oxides, sulfides, selenides, and phosphides and the material designs for the desired Na+ /K+ storage performance, phase transform, ionic/electronic transport kinetics, and specific chemical interactions are discussed.
Abstract: High-energy batteries with low cost are urgently needed in the field of large-scale energy storage, such as grid systems and renewable energy sources. Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) and potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) with alloy-based anodes provide huge potential due to their earth abundance, high capacity, and suitable working potential, and are recognized as attractive alternatives for next-generation batteries system. Although some important breakthroughs have been reported, more significant improvements are still required for long lifetime and high energy density. Herein, the latest progress for alloy-based anodes for SIBs and PIBs is summarized, mainly including Sn, Sb, Ge, Bi, Si, P, and their oxides, sulfides, selenides, and phosphides. Specifically, the material designs for the desired Na+ /K+ storage performance, phase transform, ionic/electronic transport kinetics, and specific chemical interactions are discussed. Typical structural features and research strategies of alloy-based anodes, which are used to facilitate processes in battery development for SIBs and PIBs, are also summarized. The perspective of future research of SIBs and PIBs is outlined.
255 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a review of the safety properties of SIBs is presented and several effective materials design concepts are also discussed, which can be used to improve the battery safety.
Abstract: DOI: 10.1002/aenm.202000974 and the relatively high cell cost raises concerns on the sustainable development of LIBs, especially in the large-scale energy storage area, which put specific requirements on the price cost, safety, and durability of the battery.[1] In addition to the concern over potential shortage of lithium, the incidents associated with fires and explosions of state-of-the-art LIBs are stimulating advanced strategies and new safe alternatives in recent years. Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), with identical internal components and working principles with LIBs, have been proposed as one of the most promising nextgeneration energy storage technology because of the evident advantages of lowcost and worldwide abundance of charge carriers.[2] Besides, the cost of SIBs could be further reduced by use of Co/Ni-free cathode materials[3] and aluminum current collector on the anode side since sodium does not alloy with aluminum.[4] In addition to the economic benefits, the configuration of SIBs offers a potentially safe way for batteries storage and transportation. Since Al current collector does not dissolve into electrolyte at a voltage of 0 V, shipping and storing SIBs which contain no energy (a fully discharged state) is potentially feasible.[5] Moreover, Dahn’s group investigated the thermal stability of positive materials for SIBs and found that the desodiated Na0.5CrO2 cathode was less reactive than Li0FePO4 in nonaqueous electrolyte at elevated temperatures.[6] Robinson et al. found that the self-heating rate in a Na-ion pouch cell is significantly slower than that in a commercial LiCoO2 (LCO) pouch cell and the thermal runaway process is less exothermic for Na-ion cells, indicating that SIBs could be a potentially safer option compared with LIBs.[7] However, the larger and heavier Na ions have poor kinetic characteristic in the host structure during insertion reaction process, so it may lead to rapid degradation of the host materials with exothermic reaction.[8–10] In addition, the higher solubility of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) of SIBs resulting from lower Lewis acidity of sodium complex, indicates that the incomplete coverage of electrode may further lead to undesired side reactions, accelerating heat generation. The cathode materials reported so far, roughly including oxides, polyanions, organics, Prussian blue and its analogues, which have poor electronic/ionic conductivity, will bring issues to thermal diffusion as well.[11] So far, nonaqueous liquid electrolyte is still the primary option for SIBs because of wide electrochemical stable window, high ionic conductivity, and rapid mass transfer at the electrolyteelectrode interface, yet giving rise to safety hazards.[12] Recent Sodium-ion batteries, with their evident superiority in resource abundance and cost, are emerging as promising next-generation energy storage systems for large-scale applications, such as smart grids and low-speed electric vehicles. Accidents related to fires and explosions for batteries are a reminder that safety is prerequisite for energy storage systems, especially when aiming for grid-scale use. In a typical electrochemical secondary battery, the electrical power is stored and released via processes that generate thermal energy, leading to temperature increments in the battery system, which is the main cause for battery thermal abuse. The investigation of the energy generated during the chemical/electrochemical reactions is of paramount importance for battery safety, unfortunately, it has not received the attention it deserves. In this review, the fundamentals of the heat generation, accumulation, and transportation in a battery system are summarized and recent key research on materials design to improve sodium-ion battery safety is highlighted. Several effective materials design concepts are also discussed. This review is designed to arouse the attention of researcher and scholars and inspire further improvements in battery safety.
252 citations
TL;DR: This work provides a new kind of freestanding high energy density anode with great potential application prospective for SIBs, constructed with Fe7 S8 microparticles well-welded on 3D-crosslinked carbon-networks and embedded in highly conductive graphene film via a facile and scalable synthetic method.
Abstract: Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have gained tremendous interest for grid scale energy storage system and power energy batteries. However, the current researches of anode for SIBs still face the critical issues of low areal capacity, limited cycle life, and low initial coulombic efficiency for practical application perspective. To solve this issue, a kind of hierarchical 3D carbon-networks/Fe7 S8 /graphene (CFG) is designed and synthesized as freestanding anode, which is constructed with Fe7 S8 microparticles well-welded on 3D-crosslinked carbon-networks and embedded in highly conductive graphene film, via a facile and scalable synthetic method. The as-prepared freestanding electrode CFG represents high areal capacity (2.12 mAh cm-2 at 0.25 mA cm-2 ) and excellent cycle stability of 5000 cycles (0.0095% capacity decay per cycle). The assembled all-flexible sodium-ion battery delivers remarkable performance (high areal capacity of 1.42 mAh cm-2 at 0.3 mA cm-2 and superior energy density of 144 Wh kg-1 ), which are very close to the requirement of practical application. This work not only enlightens the material design and electrode engineering, but also provides a new kind of freestanding high energy density anode with great potential application prospective for SIBs.
247 citations
TL;DR: Pre-lithiation is considered as a highly appealing technique to compensate for active lithium losses and to increase the practical energy density as mentioned in this paper, however, most of these materials suffer from high 1st cycle active lithium loss, e.g., caused by solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation, which hinders their broad commercial use.
Abstract: In order to meet the sophisticated demands for large-scale applications such as electro-mobility, next generation energy storage technologies require advanced electrode active materials with enhanced gravimetric and volumetric capacities to achieve increased gravimetric energy and volumetric energy densities However, most of these materials suffer from high 1st cycle active lithium losses, eg, caused by solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation, which in turn hinder their broad commercial use so far In general, the loss of active lithium permanently decreases the available energy by the consumption of lithium from the positive electrode material Pre-lithiation is considered as a highly appealing technique to compensate for active lithium losses and, therefore, to increase the practical energy density Various pre-lithiation techniques have been evaluated so far, including electrochemical and chemical pre-lithiation, pre-lithiation with the help of additives or the pre-lithiation by direct contact to lithium metal In this review article, we will give a comprehensive overview about the various concepts for pre lithiation and controversially discuss their advantages and challenges Furthermore, we will critically discuss possible effects on the cell performance and stability and assess the techniques with regard to their possible commercial exploration
247 citations
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References
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TL;DR: The battery systems reviewed here include sodium-sulfur batteries that are commercially available for grid applications, redox-flow batteries that offer low cost, and lithium-ion batteries whose development for commercial electronics and electric vehicles is being applied to grid storage.
Abstract: The increasing interest in energy storage for the grid can be attributed to multiple factors, including the capital costs of managing peak demands, the investments needed for grid reliability, and the integration of renewable energy sources. Although existing energy storage is dominated by pumped hydroelectric, there is the recognition that battery systems can offer a number of high-value opportunities, provided that lower costs can be obtained. The battery systems reviewed here include sodium-sulfur batteries that are commercially available for grid applications, redox-flow batteries that offer low cost, and lithium-ion batteries whose development for commercial electronics and electric vehicles is being applied to grid storage.
11,144 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a single epitaxial graphene layer at the silicon carbide interface is shown to reveal the Dirac nature of the charge carriers, and all-graphene electronically coherent devices and device architectures are envisaged.
Abstract: Ultrathin epitaxial graphite was grown on single-crystal silicon carbide by vacuum graphitization. The material can be patterned using standard nanolithography methods. The transport properties, which are closely related to those of carbon nanotubes, are dominated by the single epitaxial graphene layer at the silicon carbide interface and reveal the Dirac nature of the charge carriers. Patterned structures show quantum confinement of electrons and phase coherence lengths beyond 1 micrometer at 4 kelvin, with mobilities exceeding 2.5 square meters per volt-second. All-graphene electronically coherent devices and device architectures are envisaged.
4,848 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The transport properties, which are closely related to those of carbon nanotubes, are dominated by the single epitaxial graphene layer at the silicon carbide interface and reveal the Dirac nature of the charge carriers.
Abstract: Ultrathin epitaxial graphite was grown on single-crystal silicon carbide by vacuum graphitization. The material can be patterned using standard nanolithography methods. The transport properties, which are closely related to those of carbon nanotubes, are dominated by the single epitaxial graphene layer at the silicon carbide interface and reveal the Dirac nature of the charge carriers. Patterned structures show quantum confinement of electrons and phase coherence lengths beyond 1 micrometer at 4 kelvin, with mobilities exceeding 2.5 square meters per volt-second. All-graphene electronically coherent devices and device architectures are envisaged.
4,578 citations
4,311 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the status of ambient temperature sodium ion batteries is reviewed in light of recent developments in anode, electrolyte and cathode materials, including high performance layered transition metal oxides and polyanionic compounds.
Abstract: The status of ambient temperature sodium ion batteries is reviewed in light of recent developments in anode, electrolyte and cathode materials. These devices, although early in their stage of development, are promising for large-scale grid storage applications due to the abundance and very low cost of sodium-containing precursors used to make the components. The engineering knowledge developed recently for highly successful Li ion batteries can be leveraged to ensure rapid progress in this area, although different electrode materials and electrolytes will be required for dual intercalation systems based on sodium. In particular, new anode materials need to be identified, since the graphite anode, commonly used in lithium systems, does not intercalate sodium to any appreciable extent. A wider array of choices is available for cathodes, including high performance layered transition metal oxides and polyanionic compounds. Recent developments in electrodes are encouraging, but a great deal of research is necessary, particularly in new electrolytes, and the understanding of the SEI films. The engineering modeling calculations of Na-ion battery energy density indicate that 210 Wh kg−1 in gravimetric energy is possible for Na-ion batteries compared to existing Li-ion technology if a cathode capacity of 200 mAh g−1 and a 500 mAh g−1 anode can be discovered with an average cell potential of 3.3 V.
3,776 citations