Electrochemical activity of NbSe2 in sodium and potassium-ion batteries: A temperature-dependent study

Understanding the correlation between temperature and the electrochemical performance dynamics of materials in rechargeable batteries is crucial for developing next-generation rechargeable batteries. However, the complexity in understanding the electrochemical behavior of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) material makes it more difficult to explore at different temperatures. Presenting intriguing properties, such as superconductivity, a larger interlayer spacing, a conversion-type charge storage mechanism, and cycling stability; niobium diselenide (NbSe2) is a promising active material for the next generation of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) and potassium-ion batteries (PIBs). To evaluate the electrochemical performance of NbSe2 as an electrode for SIB and PIB over different temperatures, a systematic electrochemical approach is adopted to analyze its electrochemical performance, ion transport kinetics, and ion storage mechanism at three different temperatures (15 °C, 25 °C, and 45 °C). This study examines the temperature effect on electrochemical activity, highlighting the increase in reaction resistance during phase transition, as well as the rise in equilibrium potential due to lower temperatures. Additionally, a long-cycle (1000 cycles) stability study at high current density (1 A/g) provides an extensive view of the NbSe2 material's performance at lower temperature (15 °C) and room temperature (25 °C) for both SIB and PIB. The denouement of this work provides comprehensive knowledge of the temperature-susceptible electrochemical properties of NbSe2, paving the way for the development of a negative electrode for next-generation sodium-ion batteries.