Synergistic Cu Doping and ZnO Encapsulation: Dual-Functional Modification for Enhanced Electrochemical Performance in P2-Type Sodium-Ion Battery Cathodes
摘要
P2-transition metal oxide layers as high-capacity cathode components have gained significant attention in sodium-ion battery research. However, the occurrence of complex phase transitions during sodium insertion/extraction usually leads to the degradation of battery capacity, and the exposure of P2-type materials to air leads to structural degradation, seriously hindering their practical application. Therefore, a dual-modification approach involving the incorporation of Cu dopants combined with ZnO surface modification was employed to optimize the functionality of P2-type stratified oxides. In this study, through Cu2+ doping, the P2 structure was stabilized, leading to the suppression of detrimental phase transitions upon cycling. The ZnO coating improved the material’s atmospheric stability and enhanced its multiplicity. A ZnO-coated layered oxide Na0.67Ni0.23Mn0.67Cu0.1O2@5 wt.% ZnO was fabricated through sol-gel and wet-chemical approaches. The sample exhibited an initial capacity of 115.3 mAh/g following 100 cycles of cycling at 0.1 C; charge storage capacity was 79 mAh/g, significantly exceeding that of Na0.67Ni0.23Mn0.67Cu0.1O2. The pronounced improvement originates from the synergistic effect of Cu doping and ZnO coating surface. This combined modification strategy, based on the synergistic effects of copper substitution combined with zinc oxide interfacial engineering, may be an important step in the advancement of anode compositions for sodium-ion storage devices.