Nanoporous Niobium Oxide Electrode for Sodium-Ion Batteries
Additional Funding Sources
The project described was supported by the Pacific Northwest Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation through the National Science Foundation under Award No. HRD-1410465. The project described was supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No. DMR-1454984.
Abstract
The growing demand for renewable energy, like solar and wind, places an increasing need for large-scale energy storage systems. These systems are needed due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources. Li-ion batteries (LIB) have been selected to perform this task for its high energy storage. However, Li is relatively rare and has various obstacles to its production. Therefore, a more abundant and less expensive alternative is appealing. Sodium-ion batteries (SIB) has been considered a potential candidate for its abundance, low cost, and sustainability. Unfortunately, there are difficulties to overcome when implementing SIB. Sodium (Na) has a higher mass, larger ionic radius, and lower mobility compared to Lithium (Li). These properties cause a reduction in cycle stability, lower energy output, and increased stress/strain in the electrodes structure's inability to support the difference between the two ions. Therefore, finding a new intercalation host that is capable of supporting the transfer of Na+ becomes paramount. This work explores the formation and use of niobium oxide as an anode material for SIBs. Anodization and temperature conditions were tuned to produce a variety of pore sizes with differing morphologies. Initial results indicate that the amorphous material formed at 30V performed at the highest capacity and is further explored herein.
Nanoporous Niobium Oxide Electrode for Sodium-Ion Batteries
The growing demand for renewable energy, like solar and wind, places an increasing need for large-scale energy storage systems. These systems are needed due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources. Li-ion batteries (LIB) have been selected to perform this task for its high energy storage. However, Li is relatively rare and has various obstacles to its production. Therefore, a more abundant and less expensive alternative is appealing. Sodium-ion batteries (SIB) has been considered a potential candidate for its abundance, low cost, and sustainability. Unfortunately, there are difficulties to overcome when implementing SIB. Sodium (Na) has a higher mass, larger ionic radius, and lower mobility compared to Lithium (Li). These properties cause a reduction in cycle stability, lower energy output, and increased stress/strain in the electrodes structure's inability to support the difference between the two ions. Therefore, finding a new intercalation host that is capable of supporting the transfer of Na+ becomes paramount. This work explores the formation and use of niobium oxide as an anode material for SIBs. Anodization and temperature conditions were tuned to produce a variety of pore sizes with differing morphologies. Initial results indicate that the amorphous material formed at 30V performed at the highest capacity and is further explored herein.