Characterizing High-Capacity Janus Aminobenzene-Graphene Anode for Sodium-Ion Batteries with Machine Learning
2026-03-23 • Machine Learning
Machine Learning
AI summaryⓘ
The authors studied a special kind of battery material called aminobenzene-functionalized Janus graphene for sodium-ion batteries. Using advanced computer simulations, they found that sodium ions store in this material in three stages, which is different from how traditional materials behave. This material can hold a lot of sodium ions, works at low voltage, hardly changes size, and allows sodium to move quickly inside. Their work suggests this material could be a good candidate for better sodium-ion battery anodes and shows how machine learning helps understand battery materials.
sodium-ion batteriesanodeaminobenzene-functionalized Janus graphenemachine-learning force fielddensity-functional theorysodium storageopen circuit voltagegravimetric capacitydiffusivityhard carbon
Authors
Claudia Islas-Vargas, L. Ricardo Montoya, Carlos A. Vital-José, Oliver T. Unke, Klaus-Robert Müller, Huziel E. Sauceda
Abstract
Sodium-ion batteries require anodes that combine high capacity, low operating voltage, fast Na-ion transport, and mechanical stability, which conventional anodes struggle to deliver. Here, we use the SpookyNet machine-learning force field (MLFF) together with all-electron density-functional theory calculations to characterize Na storage in aminobenzene-functionalized Janus graphene (Na$_x$AB) at room-temperature. Simulations across state of charge reveal a three-stage storage mechanism-site-specific adsorption at aminobenzene groups and Na$_n$@AB$_m$ structure formation, followed by interlayer gallery filling-contrasting the multi-stage pore-, graphite-interlayer-, and defect-controlled behavior in hard carbon. This leads to an OCV profile with an extended low-voltage plateau of 0.15 V vs. Na/Na$^{+}$, an estimated gravimetric capacity of $\sim$400 mAh g$^{-1}$, negligible volume change, and Na diffusivities of $\sim10^{-6}$ cm$^{2}$ s$^{-1}$, two to three orders of magnitude higher than in hard carbon. Our results establish Janus aminobenzene-graphene as a promising, structurally defined high-capacity Na-ion anode and illustrate the power of MLFF-based simulations for characterizing electrode materials.