Nanostructured transition metal sulfide/selenide anodes for high-performance sodium-ion batteries

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are currently evolving as a viable substitute for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) because of the abundant availability and reasonable cost of sodium. As Na is thrice heavier and possesses a lower standard electrochemical potential than Li, it makes the built-in SIBs difficult to outclass the LIBs in terms of energy density, specific capacity, or rate capability. In SIBs, thus far investigation of cathode materials such as polyanionic compounds and layered transition metal oxides has been the center of attention in the ongoing research and very limited emphasis is paid to anodes materials. Generally, assessment of SIB anode materials needs an adequate correlation with the analogue reaction in LIBs. Hence, recent researches are directed toward the advancement of worthy anode materials for SIBs, which can enable the overall reactions at large energy densities with reasonable cost. In the same vein, metal sulfides and their composites with carbon have lately attracted a good deal of attention as high-performance anode to the development of SIBs. Therefore, in this chapter we have systematically discussed the different reaction mechanisms and accounted the development of metal sulfide–based materials and their challenges in SIB anodes.