Publication date: 10th April 2024
The field of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) is rapidly gaining popularity, with SIB technology potentially offering a lower cost and more sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs).[1], [2] Extensive research is being undertaken on the anode and cathode, however, the electrolyte for sodium-ion batteries is relatively underdeveloped. Sodium analogues of salts transferred from LIB technology, such as sodium hexafluorophosphate (NaPF6), have been studied and used commercially, however, there is a drive to develop novel electrolyte salts to improve battery performance, as well as focusing on sustainability and safety factors.
This work focuses on the development of a screening method for novel electrolytes, using model borate salts [NaB(OR)4] to understand the effect of solvent and binder choice on the cyclability of SIBs.[3] Pairing electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) with full cell galvanostatic cycling allows the SIB performance to be evaluated, as well as the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) stability to be investigated. In this study we show that a less stable interface in sodium-sodium symmetric cells is a good indicator of poorer overall cycling performance in a full cell. Sodium pinacolato-borate, Na[B(pp)2] is used with a variety of linear and cyclic carbonates; 1M Na[B(pp)2] shows poorest performance with propylene carbonate (PC), compared with co-solvent mixtures of ethylene carbonate (EC), with dimethyl carbonate (DMC) or diethyl carbonate (DEC) in a 1:1 volume ratio (EC:DMC and EC:DEC 1:1 v/v).
Compositional studies with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) allow further insight into the formation and chemical composition of the SEI, and its effect on battery performance. The presence of sodium fluoride (NaF) is confirmed by both techniques as a key SEI component with these electrolytes, however, in lower amounts relative to the bulk anion, compared with NaPF6.[4] The choice of binder used in anode construction is also shown to have an effect on the composition, with polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) reacting differently with degradation products inside the battery to give different amounts of NaF.[5]
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