A water-stable high-voltage P3-type cathode for sodium-ion batteries

The Na-deficient P3-type layered oxide cathode material usually experience complex in-plane Na+/vacancy ordering rearrangement and undesirable P3-O3 phase transitions in the high-voltage region, leading to inferior cycling performance. Additionally, they exhibit unsatisfactory stability when exposed to water for extended periods. To address these challenges, we propose a Cu/Ti co-doped P3-type cathode material (Na0.67Ni0.3Cu0.03Mn0.6Ti0.07O2), which effectively mitigates Na+/vacancy ordering and suppresses P3-O3 phase transitions at high voltages. As a result, the as-prepared sample exhibited outstanding cyclic performance, with 81.9% retention after 500 cycles within 2.5-4.15 V, and 75.7% retention after 300 cycles within 2.5-4.25 V. Meanwhile, it demonstrates enhanced Na+ transport kinetics during desodiation/sodiation and reduced growth of charge transfer impedance (Rct) after various cycles. Furthermore, the sample showed superb stability against water, exhibiting no discernible degradation in structure, morphology, or electrochemical performance. This co-doping strategy provides new insights for innovative and prospective cathode materials.