Electrochemical reactions of layered niobate material as novel anode for sodium ion batteries

The electrochemical performances of layered niobium oxide materials were investigated for the first time as novel anode active materials for the sodium-ion battery. The layered niobate with the formula KNb3O8 was synthesized by a solid-state reaction and has been evaluated as an anode electrode by a cyclic voltammetry technique and galvanostatic charge/discharge tests. The crystal structure of KNb3O8 contains the NbO6 octahedral units and potassium alkali-metal ions interlayer to form the layered structure. KNb3O8 has a redox reaction around 1 V vs. Na/Na+ and has a reversible capacity of 104 mAh/g corresponding to the 1.7 Na+ insertion/extraction in the KNb3O8 structure. The Nb K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) shows that the Nb oxidation state is converted from Nb5+ to Nb4+ during the Na+ insertion stage, and reversibly recovered to Nb5+ during the Na+ extraction stage. This is the first report that the layered niobate of KNb3O8 reversibly reacts with Na+ at the potential around 1 V vs. Na/Na+ via the Nb5+/4+ redox reaction.