Antimony-Based Anode Materials for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Antimony has emerged as a leading candidate for sodium-ion battery anodes owing to its high theoretical capacity of around 660 mAh g–1 and inherently good electronic conductivity. The principal challenge lies in mitigating the dramatic volume expansion—often exceeding 200 %—that accompanies the alloying and dealloying of sodium with antimony. Unchecked, this leads to particle pulverisation, loss of electrical contact and rapid capacity fade. Recent strategies address these issues through nanoscale engineering, composite formation and interface design. Nanostructured antimony particles, when embedded in carbon matrices or combined with two-dimensional supports, can accommodate strain and preserve structural integrity. Heterogeneous interfaces between antimony and conductive scaffolds act as mechanical buffers and promote fast ion transport. The practical appeal of antimony-based anodes is underpinned by the abundance and low cost of sodium, offering a more sustainable route to large-scale energy storage for grid buffering and low-cost electric mobility.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent investigations have demonstrated that combining colloidal antimony nanocrystals with red phosphorus and copper nanowires yields a three-component composite with exceptional sodium storage properties. The synergetic interactions between Sb and P phases—mediated by copper nanowires as conductive bridges—produce a reversible capacity in excess of 1 100 mAh g–1 after 50 cycles at moderate current densities. This ternary nanocomposite exhibits excellent rate capability, retaining close to 900 mAh g–1 at high charge-discharge rates, and greatly reduced capacity decay compared with phosphorus-only electrodes. The success of this approach highlights the value of integrating multiple active materials in a single electrode to balance high capacity with long-term stability.

Antimony-Based Anode Materials for Sodium-Ion Batteries publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in antimony-based anode materials for sodium-ion batteries across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Sodiation/Desodiation: The insertion and removal of sodium ions into and from an electrode material during battery charging and discharging.

Alloying Reaction: A reversible chemical reaction in which sodium atoms combine with antimony to form sodium-antimony alloys, storing charge.

Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI): A passivating layer that forms on the electrode surface during initial cycles, governing long-term stability and coulombic efficiency.

Heterointerface: A boundary between two dissimilar materials (e.g. antimony and carbon) engineered to enhance ion transport and mitigate mechanical strain.

Operando Analysis: Real-time characterisation of materials under working conditions, providing insight into dynamic structural and chemical changes.

References

1. Sb/Sb4O5Cl2/C composite as a stable anode for sodium-ion batteries. Energy Storage Materials (2024).
2. Interface Engineering Enables High-Performance Sb Anode for Sodium Storage. Nanomaterials (2023).
3. Design of high-performance antimony/MXene hybrid electrodes for sodium-ion batteries. Journal of Materials Chemistry A (2022).