Research Progress in Regulation Strategies of High-Performance Antimony-Based Anode Materials for Sodium Ion Batteries

Abstract: Na-ion batteries (SIBs) are promising alternatives for Li-ion batteries owing to the natural abundance of sodium resources and similar energy storage mechanisms. Although significant progress has been achieved in research on SIBs, there remain several challenges to be addressed. One of the major challenges in the construction of high-performance SIBs is the development of suitable anode materials with a large reversible capacity, high cycling stability, and good rate performance. Alloying anode materials mainly composed of elements from Groups IVA and VA, as well as their alloys, have attracted widespread attention because of their low working voltage, high cost-effectiveness, and large theoretical capacity. Alloying-type anode materials can be alloyed with metallic Na to achieve large reversible capacities, ensuring a high energy density. Antimony is a promising anode material for SIBs owing to its high theoretical specific capacity (660 mAh·g-1, corresponding to the full sodiation Na3Sb alloy), small degree of electrode polarization (~0.25 V), appropriate Na+ deintercalation potential (0.5-0.75 V), low price, and environmental friendliness. However, an important challenge for using Sb-based anode materials is that the high specific capacity is accompanied by large volume changes during cycling. Such changes lead to the pulverization of the active materials and their falling off from the collector, which significantly limit their large-scale application in the field of sodium-ion batteries. Therefore, mitigating the volume expansion issue of Sb-based anode materials in the charge-discharge process is very important for the design of high-performance SIBs. In recent years, researchers have attempted to address this issue by designing special structures to prepare various composites, and substantial progress has been achieved in improving the electrochemical performance of SIBs. In this review, the relationship between the structure and properties of Sb-based materials and their applications in SIBs are presented and discussed in detail. The latest research progress on using Sb-based anode materials for SIBs in redox reaction mechanisms along with their morphology design, structure-performance relationship, etc. have been reviewed. The main objective of this review is to explore the determining factors of the performance of Sb-based anode materials to propose suitable modification strategies for improving their reversible capacity and cycle stability. Finally, future developments, challenges, and prospects of Sb-based anode materials for SIBs are discussed. Despite several challenges, Sb-based materials are very promising anode materials for SIBs with alloying reaction mechanisms. To further improve the large-scale application of Sb-based anode materials, it is necessary to optimize the binder, electrode structure, and electrolyte composition. The combination of in-depth studies on the electrochemical reaction mechanisms and advanced characterization technologies is important for the development and construction of advanced Sb-based anode materials for SIBs. Finally, to achieve extensive large-scale applications, it is necessary to further explore environmentally friendly, low-cost, and controllable synthetic technologies to prepare high-performance Sb-based anode materials. This review provides specific perspectives for the construction and optimization of Sb-based anode materials and suggests scope for future work on Sb-based anode materials, thereby promoting the rapid development and practical application of SIBs.