Multiple Active Sites of Carbon for High-Rate Surface-Capacitive Sodium-Ion Storage.

Although sodium ion batteries (SIBs) possess many beneficial features, their rate performance, cycling stability, and safety need improvement for commercial applications. Based on the mechanisms of the sodium ions storage in carbon materials, herein we present a multiple active sites decorated amorphous carbon (MAC) with rich structural defects and heteroatom doping as an anode material for SIBs. The full utilization of fast bonding-debonding processes between the active sites and sodium ions could bring a capacitive strategy to achieve superior sodium storage properties. Consequently, after materials characterization and electrochemical evaluation, the as-prepared electrode could deliver high rate and long-life performance. This active-site-related design could be extended to other types of electrode materials, thereby contributing to future practical SIB applications.