3D ordered macroporous amorphous Nb2O5 as anode material for high-performance sodium-ion batteries

The development of society has an increasing demand for clean energy. Sodium ion batteries (SIB) have emerged because of their abundant sodium reserves and low cost. However, there is still a gap in performance between sodium-ion batteries and lithium-ion batteries. Orthogonal Nb2O5 (T-Nb2O5) is a promising sodium carrier due to its good intercalation/deintercalation characteristics and surface capacitance reaction. However, T-Nb2O5 as electrode material suffers from the low conductivity, and the crystalline phase will change to amorphous during the charge and discharge process, resulting in poor electrochemical performance of SIB. Therefore, this work has carefully designed a 3D ordered macmporous amorphous Nb2O5 (3DOM A-Nb2O5) with rich mesopomsity as anode material for superior sodium storage. Unsaturation defects in A-Nb(2)O(5 )alter the electronic structure, thereby improving electrical conductivity. Meanwhile, the hierarchical porous structure facilitates the insertion and extraction of sodium ions, with the structural integrity can be well maintained upon long cycles at high current density. As a result, the 3DOM A-Nb(2)O(5 )electrode exhibits excellent cycle performance with high capacity retention of 131 mAh g(-1) after 500 cycles at 5 A g(-1).

Automated summary

The newly designed 3D ordered amorphous Nb2O5 (3DOM A-Nb2O5) as an anode material for sodium-ion batteries, with rich mesoporous structure and improved electrical conductivity, can enhance the performance of the battery.