Synthesis of Single Crystalline Spike Shaped Nano-Rod Structured Cathode for High Performance SIB
Authors: Banik Trapa , Bhattacharya Indranil 
Published: September 2023

The increasing need for energy, the widespread adoption of electric vehicles and renewable energy storage systems, and the search for cost-effective, reliable energy storage options are all factors in the dynamic nature of the global energy landscape and energy storage industry. As more and more people switch to using electric vehicles and other kinds of renewable energy storage, there has been a corresponding increase in demand for LIBs all around the globe. Despite increasing demand, there are geopolitical and supply-chain risks as most LIBs are still manufactured in only a few countries, namely China, Japan, and South Korea. Sodium-ion batteries, also known as SIBs, have recently come to the forefront as a potentially advantageous candidate for the large-scale storage of electric energy due to the potential advantages of widespread availability and low cost of sodium resources. SIB research and development are still at an early stage, and there are few opportunities for their commercialization. SIBs do, however, confront a number of issues that need to be addressed, including as their short cycle life and rate capability, the restricted availability of high-performance materials, and the need for more research and development to maximize their performance and dependability. Nonetheless, tremendous progress has been made recently, and several businesses and research centers across the globe are attempting to enhance SIB technology. The high theoretical specific capacity and quantity of component elements make layered metal oxides suitable cathode materials for SIBs. In order to enhance their electrochemical performance, however, further exploration is required to deal with their drawbacks, such as limited rate capability and voltage fading. As the cathode materials play such a large role in determining the energy density of SIBs, the primary issue in developing high-energy SIBs is discovering cathode materials with plentiful active sites, high reaction potential, unhindered ionic channels, and stable structures. Tailoring the morphology of materials using nanostructure engineering opens up hitherto unimagined possibilities for exploiting the functional features such as enhanced electrode's specific surface area, decreased sodium-ion diffusion distance, and boost in electronic conductivity. This study demonstrates a quaternary 1D layered transition metal oxide-based cathode with a composition of Na0.67Fe0.25Mn0.5Ti0.2V0.05O2 synthesized by a facile sol-gel strategy. From the SEM results, it is seen that 1D spoke like nanorods are evolved with a tiny fraction of 3D hexagonal lattice which is due to the excessive presence of vanadium in the stoichiometry ratio of the composite. Such nanorod framework configuration facilitates large surface area in contact with the electrolyte that is suitable for charge migration and rapid diffusion of sodium ions through short solid-state route. The P2- Na0.67Fe0.25Mn0.5Ti0.2V0.05O2 microstructure, with its high crystallinity and nanorod structure, showed off a high specific capacity and outstanding rate capability which is visible through electrochemical analysis results.