Sb nanocrystallites derived from industrial antimony white as promising alloying-type anodes for Na-ion batteries

Alloying-type anodes exhibit unique advantages in terms of capacity and working potentials for practical application in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Sb-based nanocrystallites are prepared through a low-cost and large-scalable route by reducing the industrial antimony white (Sb 2 O 3 ) in aqueous solutions under mild conditions and studied as the anode materials of SIBs. Compared with the pristine Sb 2 O 3 and partially reduced Sb/Sb 2 O 3 hybrid, the totally reduced product (pure Sb nanocrystallite) manifests the most steady desodiation potential, highest capacity at around 0.75 V vs. Na + /Na, highest initial Coulombic efficiency, longest cycling life, and fastest charge/discharge rate. The different electrochemical performance of as-prepared materials is discussed from the perspective of Na-storage mechanisms. The results demonstrate that the as-prepared pure Sb nanocrystallite is more promising than its oxides for practical application in SIBs.