Research and application progress on key materials for sodium-ion batteries

Abstract

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have been considered as a potential large-scale energy storage technology (especially for sustainable clean energy like wind, solar, and wave) owing to natural abundance, wide distribution, and low price of sodium resources. However, SIBs face challenges of low specific energy, unsatisfactory rate capability, and short cycling life caused by the heavy mass and large radius of Na⁺ ions. Therefore, developing promising host materials with the ability of fast, stable, and efficient sodium-ion insertion/extraction is key to promoting SIBs. Furthermore, the optimization of the electrolyte, the matching of cathode and anode materials, and the construction of sodium-ion full batteries with high-performance, high-safety, and low cost are urgently needed in order to make SIBs commercially available. In this review, we summarize the up-to-date research progress and insights on key materials (including cathode, anode, and electrolyte) for Na storage and some representative Na-ion full battery configurations will also be emphatically described. This should shed light on the fundamental research and practical applications of sodium-ion batteries.