Zikri Noer, Yuan Alfinsyah Sihombing, Juniastel Rajagukguk, Dewi Idamayanti, Achmad Rochliadi, Fauzan Amri, Muhammad Abduh Akram Agus
In this study, sodium titanate (NTO) nanorods were synthesized using a hydrothermal and template method, followed by calcination at various temperatures (800°C-1000 °C), to evaluate their potential as anode materials for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed that NTO calcined at 950 °C (NTO950) exhibited the highest crystallinity, dominated by the Na2Ti6O13 phase, with sharp diffraction peaks at (200) and (310). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the removal of hydroxyl groups and the presence of Ti-O and Ti-O-Ti vibrations, indicating enhanced structural integrity. BET analysis revealed an optimal mesoporous structure, with a specific surface area of 14.30 m2/g, a pore volume of 0.037 cc/g, and an average pore radius of 1.7 nm, facilitating efficient ion diffusion. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM) images displayed a uniform nanorod morphology, promoting enhanced ionic conductivity. Electrochemical characterization demonstrated that all NTO samples exhibited pseudocapacitive behavior, with NTO950 showing superior sodium-ion storage properties due to the synergy between Na2Ti6O13 and rutile TiO2. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) analysis revealed redox peaks at ∼0.7 V and ∼1.0 V, corresponding to Na+ intercalation/deintercalation, while galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) measurements confirmed NTO950's high discharge capacity and excellent cycling stability, achieving a Coulombic efficiency of 95% over 50 cycles. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis showed that NTO950 exhibited the lowest charge transfer resistance (Rct) before and after cycling, with the highest sodium-ion diffusion coefficient (DNa+) of 10.7 × 10−14 cm2/s after 50 cycles, confirming superior Na+ transport kinetics. These findings demonstrate that the optimized calcination strategy enhances the electrochemical performance of NTO, making NTO950 a promising anode material for high-performance sodium-ion batteries. © 2026 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.
Study Program of Instrumentation Engineering Technology, Faculty of Vocational, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Bioteknologi No. 2, North Sumatra, Medan, 20155, Indonesia; Diploma Program in Physics, Faculty of Vocational, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Bioteknologi No. 2, North Sumatra, Medan, 20155, Indonesia; Center of Excellence for Functional Materials and Instrumentation, Universitas Sumatera Utara, North Sumatra, Medan, 20155, Indonesia; Sustainable Energy and Advanced Functional Materials (SEAM), Faculty of Vocational, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Bioteknologi No. 2, North Sumatra, Medan, 20155, Indonesia; Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Bioteknologi No. 1, North Sumatra, Medan, 20155, Indonesia; Master’s Program in Physics, Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Jl. Bioteknologi No. 1, North Sumatra, Medan, 20155, Indonesia; Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Medan, Medan, Indonesia; Advance Materials Engineering Study Program, Department of Foundry Engineering, Politeknik Manufaktur Bandung, Bandung, 40135, Indonesia; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jl. Ganesa no. 10, Bandung, 40132, Indonesia; Instrumentation and Control Engineering Technology, Politeknik Negeri Indramayu, Jawa Barat, Indonesia
