Abstract :
[en] Batteries have become an essential and primordial solution in tackling energy security and global warming. Rechargeable Li-ion technology (LIBs), by having the highest energy density of any such device, is considered as the battery of choice for electric vehicles and large-scale smart grids. However, LIBs cannot fulfill all urgent and future needs to realize mobiles and large-scale applications. Due to the high abundance of sodium and potassium, Na-ion batteries (NIBs) and K-ion batteries (KIBs) have recently emerged as highly interesting candidates. Despite advances in the development of cathode materials for NIBs and KIBs during the last few years, there is still much room for improvement. Indeed, the main challenge in KIBs and NIBs concerns the development of suitable cathode materials with high capacity, high voltage, long cycle life and low cost to boost energy density to levels close enough to that of state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries.
Phosphate based cathode materials appear to constitute first-rank candidates for green and sustainable cathode materials for NIBs and KIBs. Here, we report a one-step synthesis route using a spray drying method to produce highly homogeneous, crystalline, and impurity-free phosphate-carbon composite cathode materials for NIBs/KIBs with enhanced Na/K-ion diffusivity and kinetics. The overall electrochemical performances of the Na-ion and K-ion cells have been improved by the addition of the carbon sources/allotropes during the cathode material preparation. Spray drying synthesis is a simple and efficient approach that allows preparing composite electrode material with high homogeneity and crystallinity. Indeed, spray drying ensures the simplification of synthesis and scalability of electrode materials and the realization of Na-ion and K-ion batteries systems with lower cost and enhanced electrochemical performance (1-5).
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors are grateful to the University of Liège and FRS-FNRS for the financial support. Part of this work was supported by the Walloon Region under the “PE PlanMarshall2. vert” program (BATWAL 1318146). A.M. is grateful to the Walloon region for a Beware Fellowship Academia 2015-1, RESIBAT no. 1510399, and University of Liége.
