Evolution of the solid electrolyte interphase on tin phosphide anodes in sodium ion batteries probed by hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

In this work the high capacity anode material Sn4P3 for sodium ion batteries is investigated by electrochemical cycling and synchrotron-based hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) in order to elucidate the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) properties during the first 1.5 cycles. The electrochemical properties of tin phosphide (Sn4P3) when used as an anode material are first established in half cells versus metallic sodium in a 1 M NaFSI in EC:DEC electrolyte including 5 vol% FEC as SEI forming additive. The data from these experiments are then used to select the parameters for the samples to be analysed by HAXPES. A concise series of five cycled samples, as well as a soaked and pristine sample, were measured at different states of sodiation after the initial sodiation and after the following full cycle of sodiation and desodiation. Our results indicate that the SEI is not fully stable, as both significant thickness and composition changes are detected during cell cycling.