FeS2 as a sodium-ion battery
anode material has attracted
great attention on account of its high theoretical capacity, abundance,
low cost, and other advantages. However, the poor electrical conductivity
of FeS2 and the huge volume expansion in the sodium-ion
insertion/extraction process are the key factors affecting its electrochemical
performance. Herein, NaCl was used as a template to successfully synthesize
a composite material of a nitrogen-doped porous carbon framework loaded
with ultrafine FeS2 nanoparticles (FeS2/NPCF).
The three-dimensional porous carbon framework improves the conductivity
of the material as well as effectively suppresses the volume expansion
of the material during the charge and discharge process, thus improving
the cycle performance of the composite material. In the three-dimensional
porous carbon framework with a larger specific surface area, ultrafine
FeS2 particles can lessen the diffusion distance and enhance
the Na+ diffusion rate. The ultrafine FeS2 nanoparticles
loaded on the nitrogen-doped highly conductive porous carbon framework
reduce the e-transport resistance and limit the volume change of FeS2 during the cycle, which improves the structure’s stability.
These advantages make FeS2/NPCF an ideal anode electrode
material of a sodium-ion battery that shows excellent sodium storage
performance. A reversible capacity of 552 mAh g–1 is maintained with a capacity retention of 87% at 0.5A g–1 after 100 cycles. Remarkably, even at 5A g–1,
the FeS2/NPCF electrode still delivers a discharge capacity
of 430 mAh g–1after 500 cycles. FeS2/NPCF,
with its excellent electrochemical performance, is considered a potential
anode material for sodium-ion batteries.