Polyfurfuryl alcohol assisted synthesis of Na2FePO4F/C nanocomposites as cathode material of sodium ion batteries

Sodium ion batteries (SIBs) are recognized as one of the most promising alternatives for large-scale application due largely to low-cost and sustainable supply-chain. The crucial task is to explore the next generation of cathodematerials with satisfactory performances at low cost. In this work, Na2FePO4F/C nanocomposite (NFPF/C-PG) has been synthesized via liquid route using polyfurfuryl alcohol (PFA) as grain size controller followed by solid-state reaction using glucose as carbon sources. PFA formed in situ polymerization not only prohibits effectively the aggregation of nanoparticle, but also plays a vital role in the construction of carbon network. As a proof-of-concept application, the NFPF/C-PG shows outstanding electrochemical properties as cathode material for sodium ion batteries, which delivers discharge capacities of 73.8 mAh/g with retaining 86.1% of initial capacity over 200 cycles at 1C. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.