Sb porous hollow microspheres as advanced anode materials for sodium-ion batteries

Abstract

Sb porous hollow microspheres (PHMSs) were prepared by a replacement reaction employing Zn microspheres (MSs) as templates. The obtained Sb PHMSs were first applied as anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) and showed a high reversible capacity of 617 mA h g⁻¹ at a current density of 100 mA g⁻¹ after 100 cycles, exhibiting a high capacity retention of 97.2%. Even at a high current density of 3200 mA g⁻¹, the reversible capacity can also reach 312.9 mA h g⁻¹. The superior electrochemical performance of Sb PHMSs can be attributed to the unique structural characteristic of Sb with porous and hollow structure, which can accommodate the volume change and facilitate the Na⁺ diffusion during the sodiation and desodiation process.