Pseudocapacitive Sodium Storage by Ferroelectric Sn2P2S6 with Layered Nanostructure

Sodium ion batteries (SIB) are considered promising alternative candidates for lithium ion batteries (LIB) because of the wide availability and low cost of sodium, therefore the development of alternative sodium storage materials with comparable performance to LIB is urgently desired. The sodium ions with larger sizes resist intercalation or alloying because of slow reaction kinetics. Most pseudocapacitive sodium storage materials are based on subtle nanomaterial engineering, which is difficult for large-scale production. Here, ferroelectric Sn2P2S6 with layered nanostructure is developed as sodium ion storage material. The ferroelectricity-enhanced pseudocapacitance of sodium ion in the interlayer spacing makes the electrochemical reaction easier and faster, endowing the Sn2P2S6 electrode with excellent rate capability and cycle stability. Furthermore, the facile solid state reaction synthesis and common electrode fabrication make the Sn2P2S6 that becomes a promising anode material of SIB.