Carbon-coated Mo3Sb7 composite as anode material for sodium ion batteries with long cycle life

Herein, carbon-coated Mo3Sb7 composite (Mo3Sb7@C) is successfully synthesized via a high temperature reaction accompanied by post-milling, and investigated as an anode material for sodium ion batteries. The as-prepared Mo3Sb7@C demonstrates a capacity of 400 mAh g−1 at 0.2C (1C = 494 mA g−1), sustains 180 mAh g−1 at 20C, as well as maintains 338 mAh g−1 at 0.5C even after 800 cycles with a capacity retention of 91.8%, indicating an excellent cycling stability. The high performance of Mo3Sb7@C is expected to be ascribed to the buffer effect of Mo component for Sb associated with carbon coating and refined particle sizes of Mo3Sb7 during the cycling. In addition, a sodium ion full cell composing of Mo3Sb7@C anode and excessive Na3V2(PO4)3@C cathode is constructed to testify the performance and possibility of Mo3Sb7@C used as full cell anode.