Shinichi Komaba

Abstract Recently, lithium‐ion batteries have been attracting more interest for use in automotive applications. Lithium resources are confirmed to be unevenly distributed in South America, and the cost of the lithium raw materials has roughly doubled from the first practical application in 1991 to the present and is increasing due to global demand for lithium‐ion accumulators. Since the electrochemical equivalent and standard potential of sodium are the most advantageous after lithium, sodium ba

Li-ion batteries (LIBs), commercialized in 1991, have the highest energy density among practical secondary batteries and are widely utilized in electronics, electric vehicles, and even stationary energy storage systems. Along with the expansion of their demand and application, concern about the resources of Li and Co is growing. Therefore, secondary batteries composed of earth-abundant elements are desired to complement LIBs. In recent years, K-ion batteries (KIBs) have attracted significant att

Li-ion battery commercialized by Sony in 1991 has the highest energy-density among practical rechargeable batteries and is widely used in electronic devices, electric vehicles, and stationary energy storage system in the world. Moreover, the battery market is rapidly growing in the world and further fast-growing is expected. With expansion of the demand and applications, price of lithium and cobalt resources is increasing. We are, therefore, motivated to study Na- and K-ion batteries for station

Layered NaNi(0.5)Mn(0.5)O(2) (space group: R ̅3m), having an O3-type (α-NaFeO(2) type) structure according to the Delmas' notation, is prepared by a solid-state method. The electrochemical reactivity of NaNi(0.5)Mn(0.5)O(2) is examined in an aprotic sodium cell at room temperature. The NaNi(0.5)Mn(0.5)O(2) electrodes can deliver ca. 105-125 mAh g(-1) at rates of 240-4.8 mA g(-1) in the voltage range of 2.2-3.8 V and show 75% of the initial reversible capacity after 50 charge/discharge cycling te

Fluoroethylene carbonate is an efficient electrolyte additive to improve the reversibility of electrochemical sodium insertion for hard-carbon and NaNi(1/2)Mn(1/2)O(2) electrodes in aprotic Na cells. The additive is also capable of the electrochemical deposition/dissolution of metallic Na with higher reversibility because of improved passivation and suppression of side reactions between Na metal and propylene carbonate solution containing Na salts.

Research interest in Na-ion batteries has increased rapidly because of the environmental friendliness of sodium compared to lithium. Throughout this Perspective paper, we report and review recent scientific advances in the field of negative electrode materials used for Na-ion batteries. This paper sheds light on negative electrode materials for Na-ion batteries: carbonaceous materials, oxides/phosphates (as sodium insertion materials), sodium alloy/compounds and so on. These electrode materials

Extremely high capacity hard carbon for Na-ion battery, delivering 478 mAh g^-1 , is successfully synthesized by heating a freeze-dried mixture of magnesium gluconate and glucose by a MgO-template technique. Influences of synthetic conditions and nano-structures on electrochemical Na storage properties in the hard carbon are systematically studied to maximize the reversible capacity. Nano-sized MgO particles are formed in a carbon matrix prepared by pre-treatment of the mixture at 600

The four volt K-ion battery is demonstrated as a possible alternative to 4 volt Li-ion battery.

New electrode materials of layered oxides, Na2/3Ni1/3Mn2/3-xTixO2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 2/3), are successfully synthesized, and their electrochemical performance is examined in aprotic Na cells. A Na//Na2/3Ni1/3Mn1/2Ti1/6O2 cell delivers 127 mA h g(-1) of reversible capacity and the average voltage reaches 3.7 V at first discharge with good capacity retention.

High-capacity SiO powder composite electrodes for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are prepared with different polymer binders of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMCNa), and conventional poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVdF). Electrode performance of the SiO composites highly depends on selection of binders, and their electrochemical reversibility is drastically improved by using PAA as the binder in comparison to the PVdF, CMCNa, and PVA binders

Abstract Sodium 3d transition metal oxides for Na‐ion batteries have attracted attention of battery researchers because of their new chemistries and abundant material resources in the earth. Some companies have also developed Na‐ion battery prototypes mainly consisting of a layered oxide as a positive electrode material and hard carbon as the negative one for practical use. In this article, progress of Na‐containing layered transition‐metal oxides is reviewed in terms of fundamental chemistry an

Structurally identical KVPO₄F and KVOPO₄ are evaluated as positive electrode materials for non-aqueous potassium-ion batteries. KVPO₄F and KVOPO₄ show highly reversible potassium extraction/insertion with discharge capacities of ca. 92 mA h g^-1 and ca. 84 mA h g^-1, respectively, and their average discharge voltage reaches above 4.0 V with 1 M KPF₆ EC/PC electrolyte at 2.0-5.0 V. Despite the extraction of large potassium