The most environmentally friendly option is an electric car, which uses renewable energy instead of limited fossil fuels, albeit they may be more sustainable. Lithium-ion batteries, the most popular form of energy in electric cars and portable gadgets, are dependent on a costly and inaccessible metal to function. Researchers in China evaluated the present level of this study and proposed prospective directions ahead to develop more sustainable batteries to encourage additional research into magnesium, a more readily available and much less expensive alternative.
On October 6, their research was published in Energy Material Advances.
The general public is in support of the development of low-cost, high-performance batteries, according to the paper’s author Xiu Song Zhao, a professor at Qingdao University’s College of Materials Science and Engineering’s Institute of Materials for Energy and Environment. Since lithium resources are limited and the market for lithium-ion batteries is growing quickly due to the rapid adoption of new energy vehicles, it is crucial to research and develop alternative energy storage technologies that can take the place of lithium-ion batteries.
According to Lin, sodium-ion batteries for large-scale energy storage applications are gaining popularity and have a strong chance of replacing lithium-ion batteries.
“Since sodium is significantly more prevalent than lithium in the earth’s crust, it is better suited for extensive electrochemical energy storage. There are more options for electrolytes since the potential of sodium-ion half batteries is 0.3 V greater than that of lithium-ion batteries.
Additionally, the anode may be made of aluminium collectors, which would lower the price once more. However, the requirements for electrode materials are fundamentally different since sodium ions have a bigger radius and a higher molar weight than lithium ions. Consequently, one of the essential elements for bringing sodium-ion battery technology to fruition is the development of high-performance anode materials “added Zhao.
“Due to its non-toxicity, cheap cost, and the availability of titanium in nature, titanium dioxide is a viable anode material for sodium-ion batteries. Due to its unique stacking of TiO6 octahedra with two-dimensional channels for Na+ transport, anatase is more conducive in storing sodium ions.”
The development of anatase’s study is, nevertheless, hampered by various challenges. Poor electron conductivity and ion diffusion, which severely restrict rate capability and long-term cycle performance, are Zhao’s main criticisms of anatase. The weak rate capability restricts applications in high-power electronic devices, and the sodium-ion batteries’ poor cycle performance seriously limits their viability.
Zhao added that much research concentrates on coating conductive materials, nano-structuring, and building porous structures to address these issues. Zhao and his colleagues showed the use of the sol-gel process to create a porous, carbon-coated anatase that is thermally stable. The unique structure enhances the interfacial surface for charge storage while forming channels for electrolyte ion movement.
The battery showed a reversible specific capacity of 228 mAh g-1 at a current density of 0.05 A g-1 and 100% capacity retention after 2,000 cycles at 1 A g-1 when the synthesised anatase was evaluated in a half battery, the researchers discovered. The results of in-situ X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy show that anatase has a virtually zero-strain property during charge/discharge operations.
An irreversible condition-activation mechanism to generate a sodiated-TiO2 phase during the first discharge process has been suggested by in-situ transmission electron microscopy, ex-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy results. A complete coin cell with anatase as the anode and Na3V2(PO4)3 as the cathode produced 220 Wh kg-1 of energy.
According to Zhao, this study created anatase with a unique structure to enhance electron conductivity and ion diffusion kinetics, leading to strong rate performance and great cycle stability for sodium-ion storage. “The sodium storage mechanism is revealed by in-situ and ex-situ characterization, which shows that a sodium activation process takes place during the early radiation and results in a poor initial coulombic efficiency. This paper offers a method for creating high-performance titanium dioxide-based anode materials as well as concepts for researching the anatase’s storage mechanism.”
