Researchers crack a key problem with sodium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and grid energy storage

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Lithium-ion batteries have long dominated the market as the go-to power source for electric vehicles. They are also increasingly being considered for storage of renewable energy to be used on the electric grid. However, with the rapid expansion of this market, supply shortages of lithium are projected within the next five to 10 years.

"Sodium-ion batteries are emerging as a compelling alternative to lithium-ion batteries due to the greater abundance and lower cost of sodium," said Gui-Liang Xu, a chemist at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory.

To date, there has been a serious roadblock to the commercialization of such batteries. In particular, the performance of the sodium-containing cathode rapidly declines with repeated discharge and charge.

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