Enhanced Cycle Performance of Quinone-Based Anodes for Sodium Ion Batteries by Attachment to Ordered Mesoporous Carbon and Use of Ionic Liquid Electrolyte

Abstract

Sodium ion batteries (SIBs) have emerged as a potential alternative to lithium ion batteries due to their chemical similarities. Key considerations for SIBs include energy storage capacity, lifetime, cost, and safety. Major challenges associated with high performance organic electrodes for rechargeable batteries are their poor electrical conductivity and dissolution of the active material in common electrolytes. The poor conductivity limits the rate performance, while dissolution leads to poor cycle performance and short lifetimes. Here we demonstrate a route to address these challenges in a sodium ion battery for 2,5-disodium-1,4-benzoquinone, Na 2 DBQ (organic active material), through immobilization of the Na 2 DBQ on high surface area ordered mesoporous carbon, OMC, and use of 1-methyl-3-propylpyrrolidinium bis(fluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ionic liquid (IL) electrolyte, NaFSI/[PYR13] [FSI]. These changes increase the rate capability and capacity retention after cycling when compared Na 2 DBQ anodes using standard carbonate electrolytes. At 22 • C, the inclusion of the OMC leads to similar capacities for the IL-and carbonate-electrolytes, but the improved thermal stability of the IL enables safe operation at 60 • C, which more than doubles the discharge capacities due to enhanced ion mobility and charge transfer kinetics. At 60 • C, the capacity retention was 83% for the IL-electrolyte after 300 cycles. For the materials examined here, the use of IL electrolyte does not adversely impact the performance of organic anode sodium-ion batteries and provides advantages with a wider operating temperature range and improved safety when compared to typical carbonate-based electrolytes. The move toward clean energy technologies associated with electrical vehicles and renewable energy production requires energy storage systems that are safe, reliable and economical.1,2 Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) have dominated energy storage solutions for portable devices due to their high energy density (∼200 Wh/kg). 3 The need for improved performance has fueled significant efforts in new electrode materials to enhance the energy density of LIBs. 4,5 However, the growing demands for large-scale energy storage generate questions regarding the future availability and the cost of lithium, which could adversely impact the competitiveness of intermittent energy sources.6-8 Sodium with its orders of magnitude greater natural abundance compared to Li can potentially address these availability and cost concerns, 9 but the larger atomic size (Na + : 4.44 Å 3 and Li + : 1.84 Å 3 ) and higher intrinsic mass per charge of sodium leads to lower theoretical capacity for sodium ion batteries (SIBs) in comparison to LIBs. Challenges for SIBs include improving the reversible insertion electrode materials for Na + for enhanced discharge capacity and cyclability.10 In addition to the active materials for the electrodes, the selection of the electrolyte impacts performance, safety and cost. 11A variety of carbon materials, including ordered mesoporous ca...

Electrolytes and Interphases in Sodium‐Based Rechargeable Batteries: Recent Advances and Perspectives

“…[ 101 ] The same electrolyte composition was employed in sodium cells in combination with a Sb 2 S 3 /graphene anode material, showing superior performance compared to conventional carbonate‐based electrolyte. [ 102 ] Owing to its superior properties, Pyr 13 FSI–NaFSI has been applied for SIBs by several other research groups in different cell configurations, [ 103–107 ] nevertheless it is interesting to note the effects that the salt anion has on the performance and accordingly there is certainly much room to improve these IL‐based electrolytes for future applications. Furthermore, while there has been significant investigation of the behavior of the electrode/electrolyte interphase in organic electrolytes, as discussed above, there is a lesser understanding of the interphase in the IL‐based systems.…”

Combining Quinone Cathode and Ionic Liquid Electrolyte for Organic Sodium-Ion Batteries

“…36,37 Besides, IL-based electrolyte possesses advantages over organic electrolyte, such as low flammability, negligible volatility, and higher thermal and electrochemical stabilities. [38][39][40][41] Inspired by these merits, an interesting question arises as to whether ILs have inhibitory effect toward the dissolution of quinone electrode materials. However, as far as we know, there is scarcely any report on the combined use of ILs and quinone cathode for SIBs, let alone mechanism investigations.…”

Optimization of the Carbon Content in Copper Phosphide–Carbon Composites for High Performance Sodium Secondary Batteries Using Ionic Liquids

“…Recently, various studies using ILs have reported enhanced electrochemical performances over wide temperature ranges, and in particular at intermediate temperatures . In particular, negative electrodes with high volume changes showed clear improvements in performance when ILs were employed due to the formation of a robust and stable SEI layer . For example, a combination of red phosphorus with 0.25 M Na[FSA]‐[C 3 C 1 pyrr][FSA] (FSA: bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide anion and C 3 C 1 pyrr + : N ‐propyl‐ N ‐methylpyrrolidinium cation) showed a good cyclability attributed to the uniform and stable SEI layer, as revealed by hard X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry .…”