Can Metallic Sodium Electrodes Affect the Electrochemistry of Sodium‐Ion Batteries? Reactivity Issues and Perspectives

• DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201901056
• Publication Date: 2019-05-02T13:49:23Z
• Authors: Kristina Pfeifer; Stefanie Arnold; Julian Becherer; Chittaranjan Das; Julia Maibach; Helmut Ehrenberg; Sonia Dsoke
• Keywords: Reactivity; Electrochemical cell

Abstract Sodium‐ion batteries (NIBs) are promising energy‐storage devices with advantages such as low cost and highly abundant raw materials. To probe the electrochemical properties of NIBs, sodium metal is most frequently applied reference and/or counter electrode in state‐of‐the‐art literature. However, high reactivity its impact on performance usually neglected. In this study, it shown that spontaneous reactions organic electrolytes importance critical interpretation experiments emphasized. When using sodium‐metal half‐cells, decomposition products contaminate electrolyte during measurement can easily lead to wrong conclusions about stability active The cycling affected by these contaminations, which proven comparing sodium‐metal‐free cell sodium‐metal‐containing cells. Interestingly, a more stable Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 half‐cells be observed when replacing Na electrodes activated carbon electrodes. This difference attributed altered result contamination different surface chemistries.