In this study, we investigated the applicability of FePO4-carbon composite prepared by ultracentrifugation (UC) method as magnesium-ion host structure. For nano-hybrid capacitor electrode, the electrode materials prepared by the UC method reported so far are capable of ultrafast lithium-ion insertion and extraction reaction[2]. Therefore, magnesium-ions could diffuse in the structure with a moderate condition. Since the irreversible magnesium ion insertion-extraction reaction in crystalline olivine type FePO4 has been reported[3], in this study, non-crystalline FePO4 with carbon composite was used.
FePO4-carbon composite was prepared by UC process[2]. The composite was mixed with PTFE. with the weight ratio of 9:1. The electrodes were charged using 1M LiPF6 in a 3:7 volume ratio of ethylene carbonate and diethyl carbonate. The charged electrodes were washed with DME and then, three-electrode cell with an Ag+/Ag double junction reference electrode was assembled. The counter electrode was an active carbon, and the electrolyte was 0.5 M magnesium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide in acetonitrile. Charge-discharge measurements were performed at 25oC. The valence state of Fe in the charged / discharged electrodes were examined by X-ray absorption spectroscopy, which was measured in a transmission mode.
Reversible charge / discharge capacity was observed after the first discharge. In operation at 25oC and a rate of 1/20 C, a capacity of apploximately 150 mAh/g and the potential of about 2 V versus magnesium metal are observed. From the TEM-EDX measurements, the structure of FePO4 particles embedded in carbon and the intensity of magnesium is observed only in regions where FePO4 particles exist. X-ray absorption edge at Fe K-edge shifts downward in energy for the discharge reaction, reflecting the reduction of iron ions to maintain electrical neutrality upon magnesium-ion insertion in the discharge reaction.
References:
[1] D. Aurbach, Z. Lu, A. Schechter, Y. Gofer, H. Gizbar, R. Turgeman, Y. Cohen, M. Moshkovich, E. Levi, Nature 407, 724-727 (2000).
[2] K. Naoi, K. Kisu, E. Iwama, S. Nakashima, Y. Sakai, Y. Orikasa, P. Leone, N. Dupre, T. Brousse, P. Rozier, W. Naoi, P. Simon, Energy Environ. Sci. 9, 2143-2151 (2016).
[3] R. Zhang, C. Ling, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 8, 18018-18026 (2016).