Li-ion batteries show a minimum of their aging rate at a certain temperature. This minimum in the corresponding Arrhenius plot expresses the longest cycle life at a certain C-rate. By characterizing aging of laboratory-made pouch cells and commercial 21700 cells as a function of C-rate and ambient temperature, we confirm that this minimum indeed shifts with the charging C-rate. Increasing C-rates lead to higher optimal ambient temperatures with respect to the aging rate. The differences between both cell types are discussed regarding the specific energy and anode coating thickness of the tested cells.

Both the binder and solid–electrolyte interface play an important role in improving the cycling stability of electrodes for Na-ion batteries. In this study, a novel tetrabutylammonium (TBA) alginate binder is used to prepare a Na_0.67MnO₂ electrode for sodium-ion batteries with improved electrochemical performance. The ageing of the electrodes is characterized. TBA alginate-based electrodes are compared to polyvinylidene fluoride- (PVDF) and Na alginate-based electrodes and show favorable electrochemical performance, with gravimetric capacity values of up to 164 mAh/g, which is 6% higher than measured for the electrode prepared with PVDF binder. TBA alginate-based electrodes also display good rate capability and improved cyclability. The solid–electrolyte interface of TBA alginate-based electrodes is similar to that of PVDF-based electrodes. As the only salt of alginic acid soluble in non-aqueous solvents, TBA alginate emerges as a good alternative to PVDF binder in battery applications where the water-based processing of electrode slurries is not feasible, such as the demonstrated case with Na_0.67MnO₂.

This study presents a thorough investigation of Na₂FeP₂O₇ (NFP) cathode material for sodium-ion batteries and its composites with carbon and reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Our findings demonstrate that rGO sheets improve cycling performance in NFP/C/rGO composite in the absence of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI)-stabilizing additives. However, once SEI is stabilized with the help of fluoroethylene carbonate electrolyte additive, NFP with carbon additive (NFP/C) exhibits a superior electrochemical performance when compared to NFP/rGO and NFP/C/rGO composites. The decreases in capacity and rate capability are proportional to the amount of rGO added, and lead to an increase in overvoltage and internal resistance. Based on our results, we attribute this effect to worsened sodium kinetics in the bulk of the electrode—the larger ionic radius of Na⁺ hinders charge transfer in the presence of rGO, despite the likely improved electronic conductivity. These findings provide a compelling explanation for the observed trends in electrochemical performance and suggest that the use of rGO in Na-ion battery electrodes may present challenges associated with ionic transport along and through rGO sheets.