Russian scientists managed to find out how the anode works in new sodium-ion batteries

A joint group of scientists from Moscow State University and Skoltech carried out complex work and accurately identified all the processes that are at the heart of the work of the most promising new class of chemical nutrients - sodium ion Battery.

These new batteries are considered the most promising and here's why.

Why are looking for a replacement for lithium-ion battery

To begin with, I want to say a few words why everyone is so actively looking for a replacement for lithium-ion batteries. At the moment, lithium-ion batteries are used almost everywhere, from the smallest gadgets to large power plants.

The need for batteries is growing every year and this is where the main disadvantage of lithium-ion batteries lies. The thing is that lithium reserves are extremely limited and the cost of its production is constantly growing.

It is for this reason that scientific groups around the world are looking for an adequate replacement for lithium in terms of cost and efficiency.

One of the promising replacement options is sodium-ion batteries.

What scientists have proposed

The decision was made to use sodium. Indeed, in terms of distribution, it is the sixth element on Earth, and sodium salts are twice as expensive as lithium salts. In addition, the chemical properties of sodium are similar to those of lithium.

The main problem with sodium ion batteries was the anode. As you know, in lithium batteries it is made from graphite, but it is absolutely not suitable for sodium batteries.

This is because the carbon hexagons do not correspond to the size of sodium cations and, therefore, no intercalation occurs.

In fact, the only suitable material for the anode in sodium batteries is the so-called "solid carbon". This is nothing more than a disordered formation of bent graphite layers.

It was this material that was able to accumulate such an amount of sodium, which is comparable to graphite in the lithium system.

The only catch was that until now no one knew exactly how the process of storing sodium in solid carbon takes place. The carried out scientific tests made it possible to establish that the main charge of "solid carbon" accumulates through the intercalation mechanism.

For reference. Intercalation is the reversible incorporation of ions into the interlayer space within the crystal lattice of a solid.

Just as scientists note, they not only managed to understand the principle of accumulation, but also learned how to create "solid carbon" with a capacity of 300 mAh / g. And this indicator is in no way inferior to graphite in lithium-ion batteries

These data, together with the new proposed method for the production of new anodes, will significantly bring the commercial use of new types of batteries closer. And, perhaps, soon we will see worthy competitors with lithium-ion batteries on the shelves.

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