Sb Nanocrystallites Derived from Industrial Antimony White As Promising Alloying-Type Anodes for Na-ion Batteries

Alloying-type anodes exhibit unique advantages in terms of capacity and working potentials for practical application in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Sb-based nanocrystallites are prepared through a low-cost and large-scalable route by reducing the industrial antimony white (Sb2O3) in aqueous solutions under mild conditions and studied as the anode materials of SIBs. Compared with the pristine Sb(2)O(3 )and partially reduced Sb/Sb2O3 hybrid, the totally reduced product (pure Sb nanocrystallite) manifests the most steady desodiation potential, highest capacity at around 0.75 V vs. Na+/Na, highest initial Coulombic efficiency, longest cycling life, and fastest charge/discharge rate. The different electrochemical performance of as -prepared materials is discussed from the perspective of Na-storage mechanisms. The results demonstrate that the as-prepared pure Sb nanocrystallite is more promising than its oxides for practical application in SIBs. (C) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.