High Performance Full Sodium-Ion Cell Based on a Nanostructured Transition Metal Oxide as Negative Electrode

A novel design of a sodium-ion cell is proposed based on the use of nanocrystalline thin films composed of transition metal oxides. X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and electron microscopy were helpful techniques to unveil the microstructural properties of the pristine nano-structured electrodes. Thus, Raman spectroscopy revealed the presence of amorphous NiO, alpha-Fe2O3 (hematite) and gamma-Fe2O3 (maghemite). Also, this technique allowed the calculation of an average particle size of 23.4 angstrom in the amorphous carbon phase in situ generated on the positive electrode. The full sodium-ion cell performed with a reversible capacity of 100 mA h g(-1) at C/2 with an output voltage of about 1.8 V, corresponding to a specific energy density of about 180 W h kg(-1). These promising electrochemical performances allow these transition metal thin films obtained by electrochemical deposition to be envisaged as serious competitors for future negative electrodes in sodium-ion batteries.