Bismuth-Based Compounds as High Performance Anode Materials for Sodium-Ion Batteries: Mechanisms, Challenges, and Perspectives

Chino Hills High School, 16150 Pomona Rincon Road, California 91709, United States

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Abstract

The paper discusses the performance of bismuth anodes in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) in the context of the increasing demand for renewable sources, which in turn impels the need for cost-effective sodium batteries. It begins by stating that graphite is not suitable for Na+ ions, while hard carbon usually has poor initial coulombic efficiency. It focuses on three material options that involve Bi, Bi2O3, and Bi2S3, which use conversionalloying techniques. In addition, the paper discusses various studies conducted in recent years to improve the performance of these materials by using them as scaffolds, carbon, or heterointerfaces, while describing challenges that impede the performance of SIBs in full-cell batteries. The analysis indicates that the key for the Bi-based anodes to be more competitive in practice is less about the high capacity values of the half-cell and more about how the issues of mechanical degradation and the interphase region can be mitigated under conditions of reasonable electrode loadings and limited sodium mass. For this reason, the importance of scalable processing and relevant cell performance assessment values (efficiency, capacity, and electrode density) for the selection of Bi-based anodes suitable for sodium-ion batteries is promoted.