Cathode materials are critical for Na-ion batteries while
facing
challenges due to the instability of the structure and interfaces.
In this work, we propose a strategy to achieve an in situ plastic-crystal Na3–3x
Al
x
PO4 coating and bulk Al doping
for an O3-NaNi0.4Fe0.2Mn0.4O2 cathode through a simple one-step method. Na3–3x
Al
x
PO4 exhibits
high ion transport performance due to its unique “paddle-wheel”
mechanism. The in situ formed Na3–3x
Al
x
PO4 could
consume the residual alkali compounds and induce the formation of
a Na-deficient phase, thus leading to enhanced Na+ transport
kinetics. Furthermore, strong Al–O bonds formed in the bulk
further enhance the crystal structure stability. In a full cell, the
capacity retention rate reached 70% after 500 cycles, making its commercial
operation possible. Altogether, these results suggest that the in situ plastic-crystal-coating strategy can significantly
improve the surface and bulk structure stability of NaNi0.4Fe0.2Mn0.4O2, thus leading to improved
electrochemical performance.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.