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Flower-like NiCo2S4 nanosheets with high electrochemical performance for sodium-ion batteries

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Abstract

A three-dimensional flower-like NiCo2S4 formed by two-dimensional nanosheets is synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method and utilized as the anode for sodium-ion batteries. Studies have shown that materials can achieve the best performance under the ether-based electrolyte system with voltage ranging from 0.3 to 3 V, which could effectively avoid the dissolution of polysulfides and over-discharge of the material. Here, sodium storage mechanism and charge compensation behaviors of this ternary metal sulfide are comprehensively investigated by ex situ X-ray diffraction. Moreover, ex situ Raman spectra, ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy measurements are used to related tests for the first time. Additionally, quantitative kinetic analysis unravels that sodium storage partially depends on the pseudocapacitance mechanism, resulting in good specific capacity and excellent rate performance. The initial discharge capacity is as high as 748 mAh·g−1 at a current density of 0.1 A·g−1 with the initial coulomb efficiency of 94%, and the capacity can still maintain at 580 mAh·g−1 with the Coulomb efficiency close to 100% after following 50 cycles. Moreover, by the long cycle test at a high current density of 2 A·g−1, the capacity can still reach at 376 mAh·g−1 after over 500 cycles.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by funding from “973” project (No. 2015CB251103), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21771086), S&T Development Program of Jilin Province (Nos. 20160101320JC and 20180101293JC), and Jilin Provincial Department of Education “13th Five-Year” scientific research project (No. JJKH20180116KJ).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Physics and Technology for Advanced Batteries (Ministry of Education), Jilin Key Engineering Laboratory of New Energy Materials and Technologies, College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China

    Yongqiang Miao, Xiaosen Zhao, Xin Wang, Chenhui Ma, Lu Cheng, Gang Chen & Dong Zhang

  2. State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China

    Huijuan Yue

  3. Key Laboratory of Eco-Chemical Engineering (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, China

    Lei Wang

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  1. Yongqiang Miao
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  2. Xiaosen Zhao
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  3. Xin Wang
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  4. Chenhui Ma
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  5. Lu Cheng
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  6. Gang Chen
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  7. Huijuan Yue
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  9. Dong Zhang
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Correspondence to Huijuan Yue or Dong Zhang.

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Miao, Y., Zhao, X., Wang, X. et al. Flower-like NiCo2S4 nanosheets with high electrochemical performance for sodium-ion batteries. Nano Res. 13, 3041–3047 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-020-2969-4

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