Charting new terrain in energy storage: the emergence of zero-sodium-excess solid-state batteries
FAYETTEVILLE, GA, UNITED STATES, March 31, 2025 / EINPresswire.com / -- A cutting-edge breakthrough in zero-sodium-excess solid-state batteries may reshape the energy storage landscape. This innovative study introduces a novel interphase design to address the persistent challenges of low energy density and poor interfacial stability in sodium-ion batteries, offering a solution poised to revolutionize next-generation energy storage systems.
Sodium-ion batteries are celebrated for their cost-effectiveness and scalability, yet their progress has been stymied by inherent issues like limited energy density and instability. Zero-sodium-excess batteries (ZSBs) were conceptualized to overcome these drawbacks by removing excess sodium and optimizing efficient stripping and plating processes. However, unresolved hurdles, such as interfacial voids and thermodynamic instabilities between solid-state electrolytes and current collectors, have necessitated further exploration into advanced interphase designs.
In a pivotal study (DOI: 10.1016/j.esci.2024.100274) conducted by the College of Science & Institute for Sustainable Energy at Shanghai University, researchers unveiled a game-changing stratification approach, published in eScience on May 1, 2024. By exploiting differences in adsorption energy, they engineered a dual-layer interphase comprising a sodiophilic magnesium (Mg) layer beneath a thermodynamically stable sodium fluoride (NaF) layer. This dual-layer configuration effectively suppresses dendrite formation and enhances battery stability, marking a major milestone for practical applications.
The heart of this innovation lies in its unique interphase structure. The sodiophilic Mg layer improves sodium nucleation, ensuring uniform deposition, while the sodiophobic NaF layer acts as an ionic conductor and electron insulator, mitigating side reactions and improving thermodynamic stability. Together, these features enable the ZSBs to deliver a remarkable energy density of 254.4 Wh/kg with an 82.7% capacity retention over 350 cycles, far surpassing conventional approaches. Additionally, the design minimizes plating overpotential and improves critical current density, showcasing exceptional electrochemical and mechanical performance. While the current fabrication relies on magnetron sputtering, scalable techniques like chemical vapor deposition could unlock its industrial potential, bridging the gap between research and commercialization.
Dr. Wuliang Feng, the lead researcher, emphasized the significance of this innovation, stating: 'This stratification strategy offers a transformative approach to solid-state battery design. By addressing the fundamental challenges of interfacial instability, we have created a pathway for developing high-performance batteries that meet the demands of next-generation energy storage systems.'
The implications of this research are profound, extending to applications in renewable energy grids, electric vehicles, and beyond. By enhancing the viability of ZSBs for large-scale energy storage, this breakthrough could accelerate the transition to sustainable energy solutions. Furthermore, the proposed scalable manufacturing techniques pave the way for widespread adoption, turning this innovative concept into a practical, commercially viable technology.
DOI
10.1016/j.esci.2024.100274
Original Source URL
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esci.2024.100274
Funding Information
This work is supported by National Natural Science Youth Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 22209104), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos.22179077), Shanghai Science and Technology Commission's '2020 Science and Technology In-novation Action Plan' (20511104003), and Natural Science Foundation in Shanghai (21ZR1424200) and Shanghai Technical Service Center of Science and Engineering Computing, Shanghai University.
Lucy Wang
BioDesign Research
Legal Disclaimer:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Yahoo
Morehead State honors graduates at Spring 2025 Commencement
MOREHEAD — Morehead State University honored approximately 700 graduates at ceremonies on May 10. MSU celebrated these students' academic achievements in front of family, friends, loved ones, faculty, staff, students, and MSU alumni. MSU President Dr. Jay Morgan conferred the degrees and offered congratulations. Dr. Morgan also took a moment to recognize all first-generation college students and mothers in the audience, as the ceremonies took place on Mother's Day weekend. Two ceremonies honored graduates of the Caudill College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, the Elmer R. Smith College of Business & Technology, the College of Science & Engineering, and the Ernst & Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education. The ceremonies also included the commissioning of ROTC officers. Emma Brock (Class of 2025) of Corbin was the commencement speaker representing the College of Science & Engineering during the morning commencement ceremony. As an Honors Undergraduate Research Fellow, Brock received an Exceptional Merit Award at the Celebration of Student Scholarship in 2022 and 2023. She was also selected for the KYINBRE Internship at the University of Kentucky in 2023. MSU's neuroscience program named Brock the Outstanding Neuroscience Junior in 2023 and Outstanding Neuroscience Senior in 2024. Brock plans to earn a Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the University of Florida. "I am here to remind us that we all have accomplished something great, and that is to be celebrated," Brock said. "We should not set limitations upon ourselves based on someone else's assumptions of us. We should instead remind ourselves that today we have proven ourselves capable of anything we can possibly set our minds to." For more information on MSU's 2025 Spring Commencement, visit
Associated Press
31-03-2025
- Associated Press
Charting new terrain in energy storage: the emergence of zero-sodium-excess solid-state batteries
FAYETTEVILLE, GA, UNITED STATES, March 31, 2025 / / -- A cutting-edge breakthrough in zero-sodium-excess solid-state batteries may reshape the energy storage landscape. This innovative study introduces a novel interphase design to address the persistent challenges of low energy density and poor interfacial stability in sodium-ion batteries, offering a solution poised to revolutionize next-generation energy storage systems. Sodium-ion batteries are celebrated for their cost-effectiveness and scalability, yet their progress has been stymied by inherent issues like limited energy density and instability. Zero-sodium-excess batteries (ZSBs) were conceptualized to overcome these drawbacks by removing excess sodium and optimizing efficient stripping and plating processes. However, unresolved hurdles, such as interfacial voids and thermodynamic instabilities between solid-state electrolytes and current collectors, have necessitated further exploration into advanced interphase designs. In a pivotal study (DOI: 10.1016/ conducted by the College of Science & Institute for Sustainable Energy at Shanghai University, researchers unveiled a game-changing stratification approach, published in eScience on May 1, 2024. By exploiting differences in adsorption energy, they engineered a dual-layer interphase comprising a sodiophilic magnesium (Mg) layer beneath a thermodynamically stable sodium fluoride (NaF) layer. This dual-layer configuration effectively suppresses dendrite formation and enhances battery stability, marking a major milestone for practical applications. The heart of this innovation lies in its unique interphase structure. The sodiophilic Mg layer improves sodium nucleation, ensuring uniform deposition, while the sodiophobic NaF layer acts as an ionic conductor and electron insulator, mitigating side reactions and improving thermodynamic stability. Together, these features enable the ZSBs to deliver a remarkable energy density of 254.4 Wh/kg with an 82.7% capacity retention over 350 cycles, far surpassing conventional approaches. Additionally, the design minimizes plating overpotential and improves critical current density, showcasing exceptional electrochemical and mechanical performance. While the current fabrication relies on magnetron sputtering, scalable techniques like chemical vapor deposition could unlock its industrial potential, bridging the gap between research and commercialization. Dr. Wuliang Feng, the lead researcher, emphasized the significance of this innovation, stating: 'This stratification strategy offers a transformative approach to solid-state battery design. By addressing the fundamental challenges of interfacial instability, we have created a pathway for developing high-performance batteries that meet the demands of next-generation energy storage systems.' The implications of this research are profound, extending to applications in renewable energy grids, electric vehicles, and beyond. By enhancing the viability of ZSBs for large-scale energy storage, this breakthrough could accelerate the transition to sustainable energy solutions. Furthermore, the proposed scalable manufacturing techniques pave the way for widespread adoption, turning this innovative concept into a practical, commercially viable technology. DOI 10.1016/ Original Source URL Funding Information This work is supported by National Natural Science Youth Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 22209104), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos.22179077), Shanghai Science and Technology Commission's '2020 Science and Technology In-novation Action Plan' (20511104003), and Natural Science Foundation in Shanghai (21ZR1424200) and Shanghai Technical Service Center of Science and Engineering Computing, Shanghai University. Lucy Wang BioDesign Research Legal Disclaimer:
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Yahoo
Cutting funding for science can impact economy, U.S. technological competitiveness
America has already lost its global competitive edge in science, and funding cuts proposed in early 2025 may further a precipitous decline. Proposed cuts to the federal agencies that fund scientific research could undercut America's global competitiveness, with negative impacts on the economy and the ability to attract and train the next generation of researchers. I'm an astronomer, and I have been a senior administrator at the University of Arizona's College of Science. Because of these roles, I'm invested in the future of scientific research in the United States. I'm worried funding cuts could mean a decline in the amount and quality of research published -- and that some potential discoveries won't get made. The endless frontier A substantial part of U.S. prosperity after World War II was due to the country's investment in science and technology. Vannevar Bush founded the company that later became Raytheon and was the president of the Carnegie Institution. In 1945, he delivered a report to President Franklin D. Roosevelt called The Endless Frontier. In this report, Bush argued that scientific research was essential to the country's economic well-being and security. His advocacy led to the founding of the National Science Foundation and science policy as we know it today. He argued that a centralized approach to science funding would efficiently distribute resources to scientists doing research at universities. Since 1945, advances in science and technology have driven 85% of American economic growth. Science and innovation are the engines of prosperity, where research generates new technologies, innovations and solutions that improve the quality of life and drive economic development. This causal relationship, where scientific research leads to innovations and inventions that promote economic growth, is true around the world. The importance of basic research Investment in research and development has tripled since 1990, but that growth has been funded by the business sector for applied research, while federal investment in basic research has stagnated. The distinction matters, because basic research, which is purely exploratory research, has enormous downstream benefits. Quantum computing is a prime example. Quantum computing originated 40 years ago, based on the fundamental physics of quantum mechanics. It has matured only in the past few years to the point where quantum computers can solve some problems faster than classical computers. Worldwide, basic research pays for itself and has more impact on economic growth than applied research. This is because basic research expands the shared knowledge base that innovators can draw on. For example, a biotech advocacy firm calculated that every dollar of funding to the National Institutes of Health generates $2.46 in economic activity, which is why a recent cut of $9 billion to its funding is so disturbing. The American public also values science. In an era of declining trust in public institutions, more than 3 in 4 Americans say research investment is creating employment opportunities, and a similar percentage are confident that scientists act in the public's best interests. Science superpower slipping By some metrics, American science is preeminent. Researchers working in America have won over 40% of the science Nobel Prizes -- three times more than people from any other country. American research universities are magnets for scientific talent, and the United States spends more on research and development than any other country. But there is intense competition to be a science superpower, and several metrics suggest the United States is slipping. Research and development spending as a percentage of GDP has fallen from a high of 1.9% in 1964 to 0.7% in 2021. Worldwide, the United States ranked 12th for this metric in 2021, behind South Korea and European countries. In number of scientific researchers as a portion of the labor force, the United States ranks 10th. Metrics for research quality tell a similar story. In 2020, China overtook the United States in having the largest share of the top 1% most-cited papers. China also leads the world in the number of patents, and it has been outspending the U.S. on research in the past few decades. Switzerland and Sweden eclipse the United States in terms of science and technology innovation. This definition of innovation goes beyond research in labs and the number of scientific papers published to include improvements to outcomes in the form of new goods or new services. Among American educators and workers in technical fields, 3 in 4 think the United States has already lost the competition for global leadership. Threats to science funding Against this backdrop, threats made in the beginning of President Donald Trump's second term to science funding are ominous. Trump's first wave of executive orders caused chaos at science agencies as they struggled to interpret the directives. Much of the anxiety involved excising language and programs relating to diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI. The National Science Foundation is particularly in the crosshairs. In late January, it froze the routine review and approval of grants and new expenditures, impeding future research, and has been vetting grants to make sure they comply with orders from the U.S. president. The National Institutes of Health announced on Feb. 7 a decision to limit overhead rates to 15% which sent many researchers reeling though it has since been temporarily blocked by a judge. The National Institutes of Health is the world's largest funder of biomedical research, and these indirect costs provide support for the operation and maintenance of lab facilities. They are essential for doing research. The new administration has proposed deeper cuts. The National Science Foundation has been told to prepare for the loss of half of its staff and two-thirds of its funding. Other federal science agencies are facing similar threats of layoffs and funding cuts. The impact Congress already failed to deliver on its 2022 commitment to increase research funding, and federal funding for science agencies is at a 25-year low. As the president's proposals reach Congress for approval or negotiation, they will test the traditionally bipartisan support science has held. If Congress cuts budgets further, I believe the impact on job creation, the training of young scientists and the health of the economy will be substantial. Deep cuts to agencies that account for a small fraction -- just over 1% -- of federal spending will not put a dent in the soaring budget deficit, but they could irreparably harm one of the nation's most valuable enterprises. Chris Impey is University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
