A pioneering discovery in sodium-ion battery technology could revolutionize energy storage, making it more accessible and sustainable.
A pioneering breakthrough by an interdisciplinary team of researchers, including the Canepa Research Laboratory at the University of Houston, has the potential to significantly transform the future of energy storage.
The team has developed a groundbreaking material for sodium-ion batteries that promises to enhance efficiency and energy performance, providing a more affordable and sustainable alternative to the lithium-ion technology currently dominating the market.
The new material, identified as sodium vanadium phosphate (NaxV2(PO4)3), enhances the energy density of sodium-ion batteries by over 15%, achieving 458 watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg) compared to the prior 396 Wh/kg. This advancement is crucial as it brings sodium-ion batteries closer to competing with their lithium-ion counterparts.
“Sodium is nearly 50 times cheaper than lithium and can even be harvested from seawater, making it a much more sustainable option for large-scale energy storage,” Pieremanuele Canepa, the Robert A. Welch Assistant Professor at the University of Houston and the lead researcher at the Canepa lab, said in a news release. “Sodium-ion batteries could be cheaper and easier to produce, helping reduce reliance on lithium and making battery technology more accessible worldwide.”
The Canepa Lab collaborated with French researchers Christian Masquelier and Laurence Croguennec from the Laboratoire de Réactivité et de Chimie des Solides and the Institut de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Bordeaux for the experimental aspects of the project. This convergence of theoretical modeling and experimental validation resulted in the creation of a battery prototype using the novel material, demonstrating significant improvements in energy storage.
NaxV2(PO4)3, classified as a “Na superionic conductor” or NaSICON, exhibits a unique stability during charge and discharge cycles, operating as a single-phase system. It remains stable while releasing or absorbing sodium ions, providing a continuous voltage of 3.7 volts versus sodium metal — higher than the 3.37 volts found in traditional materials.
This stability is largely attributed to the use of vanadium, which can exist in multiple stable states, thus facilitating higher energy retention and release.
“The continuous voltage change is a key feature,” Canepa added. “It means the battery can perform more efficiently without compromising the electrode stability. That’s a game-changer for sodium-ion technology.”
The synthesis method employed to create NaxV2(PO4)3 could be applied to other materials with similar chemistries, expanding its potential impact on advanced energy storage technologies. This has significant implications for various sectors, from producing more affordable batteries for everyday devices to supporting the transition to a cleaner energy economy.
“Our goal is to find clean, sustainable solutions for energy storage,” added Canepa. “This material shows that sodium-ion batteries can meet the high-energy demands of modern technology while being cost-effective and environmentally friendly.”
Details of this significant research have been published in the journal Nature Materials.