(Invited) Enabling Next-Generation High-Performing Sodium Metal Batteries

Abstract

The increasing energy demands of society today have led to pursue alternative energy storage systems that can fulfill rigorous requirements like cost-effectiveness and high storage capacities. Based fundamentally on earth-abundant sodium sources, sodium-based batteries are a promising solution in applications where existing lithium-ion technology remains less economically viable, particularly in large-scale stationary systems such as grid-level storage. Although simply replacing lithium with sodium in current lithium-ion batteries is not a viable solution due to deteriorating electron transfer in conventional intercalation cathodes, sodium is highly attractive when leveraging other battery chemistries due to its unique redox reactions. Sodium metal holds great promise as an attractive anode material for sodium-based batteries owing to its high theoretical specific capacity, low electrochemical potential, low cost and high natural abundance. However, its highly reactive nature with organic electrolyte leads to the formation of unstable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and dendritic/mossy sodium growth. In this talk, I will present a series of versatile strategies to realize diverse high-energy sodium metal battery systems through multi-faceted tactical regulations of the electrode-electrolyte interface, electrode structural design, and electrolyte engineering.