Niobium-doped titanium oxide anode and ionic liquid electrolyte for a safe sodium-ion battery

The anode properties of Nb-doped rutile TiO2 electrodes were investigated in an ionic liquid electrolyte comprised of N-methyl-N-propylpyrrolidinium cation and bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide anion for use in a safe Na-ion battery. Although the electrolyte’s conductivity was lower than that of a conventional organic electrolyte at 30 oC, it showed high conductivity comparable to that of the organic electrolyte at 60 oC. The Nb-doped TiO2 electrode showed excellent cyclability in the ionic liquid electrolyte at 60 oC: a high capacity retention of 97% was observed even at the 350th cycle, which is comparable to value in the organic electrolyte (91%). In a non-flammability test in a closed system, no ignition was observed with the ionic liquid electrolyte even at 300 oC. These results indicate that combination of a Nb-doped TiO2 anode and ionic liquid electrolyte gives not only an excellent cyclability but also high safety for a Na-ion battery operating at a temperature below the sodium’s melting point of 98 oC.