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DOE OSTI · 3608619

Mechanistic origin of solvent-dependent thermal stability in sodiated Sn anodes for sodium-ion batteries

Abstract

Understanding the thermal stability of high-energy density alloy anodes is critical for the safe deployment of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Here, accelerating rate calorimetry (ARC), post-mortem characterizations, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations are combined to understand the thermal reactivity of fully sodiated Sn, Sn-hard carbon (HC) blends, and HC anodes in carbonate- and ether-based electrolytes. ARC measurements show that propylene carbonate (PC) causes earlier self-heating rate (SHR) onset and higher reactivity than tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (TEGDME), indicating inferior thermal stability. Sodiated Sn exhibits better thermal stability than sodiated HC, while Sn-HC blends show intermediate behavior that improves with increasing Sn content. Post-ARC analyses reveal desodiation of Na15Sn4 to metallic Sn with particle coalescence, whereas Sn-HC blends and HC retain finer morphologies. PC promotes Sn oxidation to SnO, while TEGDME suppresses oxide formation; NaPF6-containing electrolytes additionally form NaF. DFT calculations show that PC adsorption lowers Na extraction energy and enhances interfacial electronic interactions, facilitating Na release and reductive decomposition. These results establish a direct correlation between solvent-dependent reaction pathways and thermal stability in SIB alloy anodes.

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BibTeXRIS

Chak, Chanmonirath Michael, Mishra, Adesh Rohan, Shipitsyn, Vadim, Zuo, Wenhua, Keane, Denis T., Daali, Amine, Xu, GuiLiang (ORCID:000000019969883X), Xie, Hezhen, Li, Wan-Lu, Ma, Lin. 2026-10-30. Mechanistic origin of solvent-dependent thermal stability in sodiated Sn anodes for sodium-ion batteries. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2026.240849

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