Researchers Improve Sodium-Ion Batteries 4X

Researchers have made significant advances in sodium-ion battery technology, addressing key challenges that have limited their commercial viability, particularly for electric vehicle (EV) applications. Sodium-ion batteries offer advantages over lithium-ion batteries, such as using abundant, nonflammable materials and potentially lower costs. However, a major obstacle has been the anode material: graphite, used in lithium-ion batteries, cannot store sodium ions effectively. The industry consensus has favored hard carbon as an alternative, but it suffers capacity loss during manufacturing due to chemical reactions between the electrolyte and the anode. Chinese battery giant CATL has reportedly resolved this "hard carbon problem," enabling commercial production of sodium-ion batteries for EVs. Further research from Germany’s BAM institute has proposed an innovative solution involving a thin coating of activated carbon over a sponge-like hard carbon core. This coating acts as a filter, allowing sodium ions to pass while blocking electrolyte molecules that cause capacity loss. Their approach has improved initial capacity retention significantly, as reported in the journal Angewand