Rational Design of a P2-Type Spherical Layered Oxide Cathode for High-Performance Sodium-Ion Batteries

Abstract

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have been regarded as the most promising candidates for the next-generation energy storage devices owing to their low price and high abundance. However, the development of SIBs is mainly hindered by the instability of cathode materials. Here, we report a new P2-type manganese-rich cathode material, Na_0.66Li_0.18Mn_0.71Mg_0.21Co_0.08O₂ (P2-NaLiMMCO) with uniform spherical structure prepared via a simple solvothermal method and subsequent solid-state reaction. This P2-NaLiMMCO cathode material with uniform microsize secondary spheres and nanosize primary crystalline particles delivers a high initial discharge capacity of 166 mA h g^-1 and superior capacity retention, which are superior to most previously reported results. The improved stability of the cathode material was further investigated by the <i>in situ</i> X-ray diffraction technique, which suggests an enhanced reversibility of the cathode material during the desodiation/sodiation process. With the superior electrochemical performance and stable structures, this new P2-NaLiMMCO can serve as a practical cathode material for SIBs.