Structural engineering of Sb-based electrode materials to enhance advanced sodium-ion batteries

Antimony(Sb)is recognized as a potential electrode material for sodium-ion batteries(SIBs)due to its huge reserves,affordability,and high theoretical capacity(660 mAh·g^(-1)).However,Sb-based materials experience significant volume expansion during cycling,leading to comminution of the active substance and limiting their practical use in SIBs.Therefore,the volume expansion issue of Sb-based materials during charging/discharging must be solved to create high-performance SIBs.This paper presents a detailed review of structural engineering of Sb-based electrode materials,focusing on the performance effects of different kinds of structures on advanced performance SIBs.Finally,the future development and the challenges of Sb-based materials are prospected.This paper can provide specific perspectives on the structure construction and optimization of Sb-based anode materials so as to promote the rapid development and practical applications of SIBs.

Synthesis and photoelectric properties of an organic dye containing benzo[l,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene for dye-sensitized solar cells

Received 7 September 2012 Received in revised form 27 November 2012 Accepted 11 December 2012 Available online 4 February 2013