Durable alloy anode for Na-ion batteries with high volumetric energy density
摘要
Alloy anodes can offer high energy densities of Na-ion batteries (NIBs) but suffer from poor cycling performance. Conventional strategies to mitigate the volume expansion often sacrifice the capacity delivery and material scalability, while the underlying mechanisms governing the cycling stability and practical applicability remain unrevealed. Here we design a scalable micrometre-scale Sn anode for ampere-hour-level NIBs, which delivers a high volumetric energy density of 453 Wh l−1 and realizes fast charging (~15 min) over 600 cycles. Notably, the Sn-based cell exhibits superior low-temperature performance compared with the LiFePO4/graphite cell. Multiscale characterizations combined with machine learning-assisted quantitative analyses reveal that the adequate and continuous topological morphological evolution of the Sn particles, synergistically reinforced by the cross-linked networks of single-walled carbon nanotubes, ensures stable electrical connection and high active material utilization throughout the cycle life. This work clarifies the structure–stability–performance correlation of alloy-based anodes and highlights their great potential for next-generation high-energy NIBs.