Nanocarbon in Sodium-ion Batteries – A Review. Part 2: One, Two, and Three-dimensional Nanocarbons

Nanocarbons play a significant role in the development of alternative, clean and sustainable energy technologies. The utility of low-dimensional nanostructured carbons (one-, two- and three-dimensional) in the new generation of batteries have shown great potential due to their physicochemical and electrochemical properties as well as high safety. The electrodes made from nanostructured carbon materials with different dimensions, size and structures offer enhanced ionic transport and electronic conductivity as compared to conventional batteries. They also enable the occupation of all intercalation sites available in the particle which leads to high specific capacities, fast ion diffusion, superior rate capability and long-term cyclability. The carbonaceous nanosized active materials are important to enhance the electrical conductivity of the electrode materials and buffer the structural change and strain during sodium insertion and extraction. Application potentialities of different low-dimensional nanostructured carbons in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) are discussed in this part II. It also deals with the modifications made on the carbonaceous material by doping with heteroatoms, expressing diversified morphologies with porous materials or compositing with organic or inorganic species.