Composites of Na_(0.44)Mn O_2, Na_(0.7)Mn O_(2.05), and Na_(0.91) Mn O_2 were synthesized by facile solid-state reaction, ball milling, and annealing methods. Two different composites of identical overall composition ...Composites of Na_(0.44)Mn O_2, Na_(0.7)Mn O_(2.05), and Na_(0.91) Mn O_2 were synthesized by facile solid-state reaction, ball milling, and annealing methods. Two different composites of identical overall composition but drastically different morphologies and microstructures were synthesized. A composite of a hierarchical porous microstructure with primary and secondary particles(i.e., a "meatball-like" microstructure) achieved an excellent stable capacity of 126 m A h g^(-1) after 100 cycles. The rate capability of the composite could be dramatically enhanced by another round of high-energy ball milling and reannealing; subsequently, a composite that was made up of irregular rods was obtained, for which the capacity was improved by more than 230% to achieve ~53 m A h g^(-1) at a particularly high discharge rate of 50 C. This study demonstrated the feasibility of tailoring the electrochemical performance of electrode materials by simply changing their microstructures via facile ball milling and heat treatments, which can be particularly useful for optimizing composite electrodes for sodium-ion batteries.展开更多
基金supported by the U.S.NSF(Grant No.DMR-1320615)subsequently an NSSEFF fellowship(Grant No.N00014-15-1-0030)
文摘Composites of Na_(0.44)Mn O_2, Na_(0.7)Mn O_(2.05), and Na_(0.91) Mn O_2 were synthesized by facile solid-state reaction, ball milling, and annealing methods. Two different composites of identical overall composition but drastically different morphologies and microstructures were synthesized. A composite of a hierarchical porous microstructure with primary and secondary particles(i.e., a "meatball-like" microstructure) achieved an excellent stable capacity of 126 m A h g^(-1) after 100 cycles. The rate capability of the composite could be dramatically enhanced by another round of high-energy ball milling and reannealing; subsequently, a composite that was made up of irregular rods was obtained, for which the capacity was improved by more than 230% to achieve ~53 m A h g^(-1) at a particularly high discharge rate of 50 C. This study demonstrated the feasibility of tailoring the electrochemical performance of electrode materials by simply changing their microstructures via facile ball milling and heat treatments, which can be particularly useful for optimizing composite electrodes for sodium-ion batteries.
