N/P co-doping regulates the local microcrystalline structure of hard carbon to facilitate sodium-ion storage

Abstract

To enhance the competitiveness of sodium-ion batteries in the field of energy storage, researchers have been committed to exploring optimization solutions for high-performance hard carbon anodes. However, there are many limitations to the improvement of hard carbon performance, making it difficult to achieve simultaneous increase in slope capacity and plateau capacity. In this research, an exhaustive dissection was carried out on the mechanism through which N/P co-doped hard carbon anodes optimize the performance of sodium-ion batteries. The introduction of functional atoms promotes the generation of a large number of functional groups on the surface of hard carbon, providing more active sites for redox reactions and increasing the slope capacity. It is worth noting that N/P co doping exhibits unique effects, effectively promoting the growth and bending of graphite like microcrystalline layers, thereby catalyzing the formation of closed pores and achieving a significant increase in plateau capacity. This research provides new research ideas for comprehensively improving the hard carbon capacity.