Li-ion and Na-ion insertion into size-controlled nickel hexacyanoferrate nanoparticles

The influence of particle size on the electrochemical properties of guest-ion storage materials has attracted much attention because of the extensive need for long cycle-life, high energy density, and high power batteries. The present work describes a systematic study of the effect of particle size on the guest-ion storage capabilities of a cyanide-bridged coordination polymer. A series of nickel hexacyanoferrate particles ranging from approximately 40 to 400 nm were synthesized by a co-precipitation method and were used as the cathode material for both Li-ion and Na-ion insertion/extraction experiments using organic electrolyte. A large polarization was observed for the largest particles during Li-ion cycling, indicating a heterogeneous ion concentration within the lattice. As a consequence, the available capacity of Li-ion intercalation at high rates is significantly improved by reducing the particle size. On the other hand, Na-ion intercalation shows excellent rate capability regardless of the particle size.