“Pinning effect” mitigating Jahn-Teller distortion of manganese-rich phosphate cathodes in sodium-ion batteries
摘要
The manganese-iron-based mixed polyanionic cathode material has gradually garnered considerable attention due to its high energy density and notable operating voltage advantages for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, the Jahn-Teller distortion caused by Mn3+ significantly impairs the cyclic stability of this material. Herein, a structural modulation strategy involving Mg2+ doping is employed. The electrochemically inert Mg2+ forms stronger chemical bonds, adjusts lattice parameters, and suppresses Jahn-Teller distortion, thereby markedly enhancing the structural stability of the cathode material for SIBs. Moreover, Mg2+ further enhances the diffusion kinetics by widening the sodium-ion diffusion channels. In addition, the construction of an in-situ three-dimensional conductive network of carbon nanotubes significantly improves the electronic conductivity. As a result, this material exhibits a discharge-specific capacity of 126 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C, which is close to the theoretical capacity (129 mAh g−1), and maintains high-capacity cyclic stability (80% after 3000 cycles) at 0.5 C. Furthermore, the system delivers an impressively high energy density (401 Wh kg−1), a value that stands among the highest reported so far in mixed phosphate systems. Therefore, the novel manganese-iron-based mixed polyanionic cathode material developed in this work holds great potential for large-scale energy storage applications.