Precise solid-phase synthesis of CoFe@FeOx nanoparticles for efficient polysulfide regulation in lithium/sodium-sulfur batteries

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 7487 - 11
• Main Authors: Chen, Yanping, Yao, Yu, Zhao, Wantong, Wang, Lifeng, Li, Haitao, Zhang, Jiangwei, Wang, Baojun, Jia, Yi, Zhang, Riguang, Yu, Yan, Liu, Jian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 18.11.2023; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 147/137; 147/143; 639/301/299; 639/301/357/354; 639/638/549/2263; Carburizing; Core-shell particles; Fabrication; Humanities and Social Sciences; Intermetallic compounds; Iron; Lithium; Manganese; Metals; multidisciplinary; Nanoparticles; Physicochemical properties; Polysulfides; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Separators; Sodium; Sodium sulfur batteries; Solid phase methods; Solid phase synthesis; Sulfur; Synthesis gas
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42941-9

Complex metal nanoparticles distributed uniformly on supports demonstrate distinctive physicochemical properties and thus attract a wide attention for applications. The commonly used wet chemistry methods display limitations to achieve the nanoparticle structure design and uniform dispersion simultaneously. Solid-phase synthesis serves as an interesting strategy which can achieve the fabrication of complex metal nanoparticles on supports. Herein, the solid-phase synthesis strategy is developed to precisely synthesize uniformly distributed CoFe@FeO x core@shell nanoparticles. Fe atoms are preferentially exsolved from CoFe alloy bulk to the surface and then be carburized into a Fe x C shell under thermal syngas atmosphere, subsequently the formed Fe x C shell is passivated by air, obtaining CoFe@FeO x with a CoFe alloy core and a FeO x shell. This strategy is universal for the synthesis of MFe@FeO x (M = Co, Ni, Mn). The CoFe@FeO x exhibits bifunctional effect on regulating polysulfides as the separator coating layer for Li-S and Na-S batteries. This method could be developed into solid-phase synthetic systems to construct well distributed complex metal nanoparticles. Solid-phase synthesis strategy is promising for fabricating desired complex metal nanoparticles on supports. Here, the authors synthesize CoFe@FeOx core-shell nanoparticles as the separator coatings via precise solid-phase method which effectively regulates polysulfides for lithium/ sodium-sulfur batteries.