New Sodium-ion battery tech boosts green energy storage affordability

In significant advances for energy-storage technologies, researchers have developed high--ionic-conductivity solid-state electrolytes for sodium-ion batteries that dramatically enhances at room temperature. This breakthrough not only paves the way for more efficient and affordable energy storage solutions but also strengthens the viability of sodium-ion batteries as a sustainable alternative to traditional lithium-ion systems.

The rising demand for renewable energy underscores the need for effective and affordable energy-storage solutions. Solid-state sodium batteries (SSSBs) offer notable cost and safety advantages, especially for large-scale grid applications. However, their widespread adoption is hindered by challenges in achieving high ionic conductivity in solid-state electrolytes, a crucial factor for efficient energy transfer and storage, and a key focus in advanced battery technology research.

A new study (10.1016/j.esci.2023.100175), published in the journal eScience on Issue 6 2023, introduces a novel solid-state electrolyte, Na_4.92Y_0.92Zr_0.08Si₄O₁₂ (NYZS), demonstrating exceptional ionic conductivity and electrochemical stability at room temperature.

This new material notably enhances the efficient conduction of ions at room temperature, which is crucial for practical energy-storage applications. The research team achieved this breakthrough by substituting a small proportion of yttrium (Y) with zirconium (Zr) in the crystal structure of the existing material, leading to an optimized arrangement that facilitates easier movement of sodium ions. This method resulted in an extraordinary increase in ionic conductivity, reaching up to 6.5 mS cm^-1 for bulk conductivity and 3.3 mS cm^-1 for total conductivity at room temperature. These values represent ones of the highest recorded for sodium superionic conductors to date. NYZS not only exhibits high ionic conductivity but also demonstrates remarkable electrochemical stability, withstanding voltages over 10 volts versus Na⁺/Na, thus ensuring safer battery operations under diverse conditions.

Dr. Sylvio Indris, a senior researcher at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and a corresponding author of the study, stated, "The NYZS solid electrolyte represents a transformative step in the development of sodium-based energy-storage technologies. It not only supports superior conductivity and stability but is also compatible with scalable manufacturing processes, making it a highly promising material for future energy-storage solutions."

This study represents a significant breakthrough in the development of sodium-ion batteries for stationary energy storage. It can lead to more stable and efficient sodium-ion batteries, reducing reliance on costly materials such as lithium and cobalt, which are commonly used in current battery technologies.

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eScience – a Diamond Open Access journal (free for both readers and authors) cooperated with KeAi and published online at ScienceDirect. eScience is founded by Nankai University and aims to publish high-quality academic papers on the latest and finest scientific and technological research in interdisciplinary fields related to energy, electrochemistry, electronics, and environment. eScience has been indexed by DOAJ, Scopus, ESCI and CAS. The latest CiteScore is 33.7 in April, 2024. The founding Editor-in-Chief is Professor Jun Chen from Nankai University. He is currently an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a fellow of The World Academy of Sciences. eScience has published 16 issues, which can be viewed at https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/escience.