Generalized synthesis of NaCrO2 particles for high-rate sodium ion batteries prepared by microfluidic synthesis in segmented flow

Abstract

NaCrO₂ particles for high-rate sodium ion batteries were prepared on a multigram scale in segmented flow from chromium nitrate and sodium nitrate using a segregated flow water-in-oil emulsion drying process. Microfluidic processing is an environmentally friendly and rapid synthetic method, which can produce large-scale industrial implementation for the production of materials with superior properties. The reaction time for NaCrO₂ particles was reduced by almost one order of magnitude compared to a normal flask synthesis and by several orders of magntitude compared to a conventional solid-state reaction. In addition, it allows for an easy upscaling and was generalized for the synthesis of other layered oxides NaMO₂ (M = Cr, Fe, Co, Al). The automated water-in-oil emulsion approach circumvents the diffusion limits of solid-state reactions by allowing a rapid intermixing of the components at a molecular level in submicrometer-sized micelles. A combination of Raman and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H, ²³Na), thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy provided insight into the formation mechanism of NaCrO₂ particles. The new synthesis method allows cathode materials of different types to be produced in a large scale, constant quality and in short reaction times in an automated manner.