Spray drying synthesis of Na3V2(PO4)2F3/C cathode material for Na-ion batteries: study of the effect of the carbon source on electrochemical performance

Lithium-ion batteries have enjoyed great success and have outperformed other rechargeable battery system since 1980. However, Li-ion batteries face many challenges and limitations: safety, the low abundance of lithium in the Earth’s crust. Recently, Sodium-ion batteries attracted a lot of interest as a potential alternative to lithium-ion batteries for large-scale energy storage applications, due to the large natural abundance and lower cost of sodium. In recent years, fluorophosphates with the NASICON (Na Super-Ionic Conductor) type structure are considered among the most interesting series of cathode materials for Li/Na-ion batteries, because they exhibit rich chemistry, attractive lithium/sodium insertion properties and thus offer promising electrochemical properties [1]. Na3V2(PO4)2F3 (NVPF) attracted high attention thanks to its promising electrochemical properties. The inductive effects of both PO43- and F- allow for a high working potential combined with a high theoretical specific capacity due to the multiple oxidation states of vanadium[1-2]. One of the key drawbacks of Na3V2(PO4)2F3 electrodes is their low intrinsic electronic conductivity.

NVPF and NVPF/carbon composite materials were prepared by spray-drying method using the same conditions used in our previous work [2]. Spray drying is a cost-effective and easily up-scalable route to prepare homogeneous multi-component powders, thus making it a suitable method to incorporate carbon in the composite powder. We used different carbon sources like conductive carbons (MWCNTs, Carbon Black, etc) and organic sources (PVA, Citric Acid, Ascorbic acid, etc) to prepare NVPF/carbon composite powders.

the structural, electrochemical, and morphological properties of the synthesized Na3V2(PO4)2F3/C samples were systematically investigated in order to understand the influence of carbon source on structural and morphological properties and most importantly electrochemical performance of NVPF and NVPF/carbon composite cathode materials for Na-ion batteries. The chemical diffusion of Na ions was studied using results obtained by varying scan rates in cyclic voltammetry measurements. Raman spectroscopy is used to evaluate the quality in disordered carbon materials and its electronic conductivity [3] and compared the results with the results from EIS and cycling performance of different samples.

Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to University of Liege and FRS-FNRS for grants. Part of this work was supported by the Walloon Region under the “PE PlanMarshall2.vert” program (BATWAL – 1318146). A. Mahmoud thanks to the Walloon region for a Beware Fellowship Academia 2015-1, RESIBAT n° 1510399.

References:
[1] R. A. Shakoor, D-H. Seo, H. Kim, Y-U. Park, J. Kim, S-W. Kim, H. Gwon, S. Leec and K. Kang, Mater. Chem. 22 (2012) 20535–20541.
[2] N. Eshraghi, S. Caes, A. Mahmoud, R. Cloots, B. Vertruyen, F. Boschin, Electrochimica Acta, 228, (2017), 319-324.
[3] A. Mahmoud, S. Caes, M. Brisbois, R. P. Hermann, L. Berardo, A. Schrijnemakers, C. Malherbe, G. Eppe, R. Cloots, B. Vertruyen, F. Boschin J Solid State Electrochem. 22 (2018) 103-112.