Critical Role of Titanium in O3-Type Layered Cathode Materials for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Recently, the substitution of inactive elements has been reported as a promising strategy for improving the structural stability and electrochemical performance of layered cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). In this regard, we investigated the positive effects of inactive Ti substitution into O3-type NaFe_0.25Ni_0.25Mn_0.5O₂ based on first-principles calculations and electrochemical experiments. After Ti substitution, Na[Ti_0.03(Fe_0.25Ni_0.25Mn_0.5)_0.97]O₂ exhibits improved capacity retention and rate capability compared with Ti-free NaFe_0.25Ni_0.25Mn_0.5O₂. Such an improvement is primarily attributed to the enhanced structural stability and lowered activation energy for Na⁺ migration, which is induced by Ti substitution in the host structure. Based on first-principles calculations of the average net charges and partial densities of states, we suggest that Ti substitution effectively enhances the binding between transition metals and oxygen by increasing the oxygen electron density, which in turn lowers the energy barrier of Na⁺ migration, leading to a notable enhancement in the rate capability of Na[Ti_0.03(Fe_0.25Ni_0.25Mn_0.5)_0.97]O₂. Compared with other inactive elements (e.g., Al and Mg), Ti is a more suitable substituent for improving the electrochemical properties of layered cathode materials because of its large total charge variation contributing to capacity. The results of this study provide practical guidelines for developing highly reliable layered cathode materials for SIBs.