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Sodium-ion batteries have captured widespread attention for grid-scale energy storage owing to the natural abundance of sodium. The performance of such batteries is limited by available electrode materials, especially for sodium-ion layered oxides, motivating the exploration of high compositional diversity. How the composition determines the structural chemistry is decisive for the electrochemical performance but very challenging to predict, especially for complex compositions. We introduce the “cationic potential” that captures the key interactions of layered materials and makes it possible to predict the stacking structures. This is demonstrated through the rational design and preparation of layered electrode materials with improved performance. As the stacking structure determines the functional properties, this methodology offers a solution toward the design of alkali metal layered oxides.

Rechargeable Na‐ion batteries (NIBs) are attractive large‐scale energy storage systems compared to Li‐ion batteries due to the substantial reserve and low cost of sodium resources. The recent rapid development of NIBs will no doubt accelerate the commercialization process. As one of the indispensable components in current battery systems, organic liquid electrolytes are widely used for their high ionic conductivity and good wettability, but the low thermal stability, especially the easy flammability and leakage make them at risk of safety issues. The booming solid‐state batteries with solid‐state electrolytes (SSEs) show promise as alternatives to organic liquid systems due to their improved safety and higher energy density. However, several challenges including low ionic conductivity, poor wettability, low stability/incompatibility between electrodes and electrolytes, etc., may degrade performance, hindering the development of practical applications. In this review, an overview of Na‐ion SSEs is first outlined according to the classification of solid polymer electrolytes, composite polymer electrolytes, inorganic solid electrolytes, etc. Furthermore, the current challenges and critical perspectives for the potential development of solid‐state sodium batteries are discussed in detail.

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Material innovation on high‐performance Na‐ion cathodes and the corresponding understanding of structural chemistry still remain a challenge. Herein, we report a new concept of high‐entropy strategy to design layered oxide cathodes for Na‐ion batteries. An example of layered O3‐type NaNi0.12Cu0.12Mg0.12Fe0.15Co0.15Mn0.1Ti0.1Sn0.1Sb0.04O2 has been demonstrated, which exhibits the longer cycling stability (ca. 83 % of capacity retention after 500 cycles) and the outstanding rate capability (ca. 80 % of capacity retention at the rate of 5.0 C). A highly reversible phase‐transition behavior between O3 and P3 structures occurs during the charge‐discharge process, and importantly, this behavior is delayed with more than 60 % of the total capacity being stored in O3‐type region. Possible mechanism can be attributed to the multiple transition‐metal components in this high‐entropy material which can accommodate the changes of local interactions during Na+ (de)intercalation. This strategy opens new insights into the development of advanced cathode materials.

Na 0.72 [L i0.24 Mn 0.76 ]O 2 , with reversible anionic redox reaction (ARR) and Mn 3+ / Mn 4+ redox, delivers the highest energy density (700 Wh/kg, 270 mAh/g, 1.5-4.5 V) among all Na cathode materials reported to date, surprisingly showing suppressed phase transition and low-strain characteristics. Our findings break the traditional cognition that ARR could only help increase the capacity. It is demonstrated in this work that ARR also plays a key role in stabilizing the structure to induce an even higher capacity with low strain.

Metallic lithium is a promising anode to increase the energy density of rechargeable lithium batteries. Despite extensive efforts, detrimental reactivity of lithium metal with electrolytes and uncontrolled dendrite growth remain challenging interconnected issues hindering highly reversible Li-metal batteries. Herein, we report a rationally designed amide-based electrolyte based on the desired interface products. This amide electrolyte achieves a high average Coulombic efficiency during cycling, resulting in an outstanding capacity retention with a 3.5 mAh cm −2 high-mass-loaded LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 cathode. The interface reactions with the amide electrolyte lead to the predicted solid electrolyte interface species, having favorable properties such as high ionic conductivity and high stability. Operando monitoring the lithium spatial distribution reveals that the highly reversible behavior is related to denser deposition as well as top-down stripping, which decreases the formation of porous deposits and inactive lithium, providing new insights for the development of interface chemistries for metal batteries.

We present a theoretical analysis and experimental demonstration of particle trapping and manipulation around optothermally generated bubbles. We show that a particle located within 500 μm of a surface bubble can be attracted towards a bubble by the drag force resulting from a convective flow. Once the particle comes in contact with the bubble’s surface, a balance between surface tension forces and pressure forces traps the particle on the bubble surface, allowing the particle to move with the bubble without detaching. The proposed mechanism is confirmed by computational fluid dynamics simulations, force calculations, and experiments. Based on this mechanism, we experimentally demonstrated a novel approach for manipulating microparticles via optothermally generated bubbles. Using this approach, randomly distributed microparticles were effectively collected and carried to predefined locations. Single particles were also manipulated along prescribed trajectories. This bubble-based particle trapping and manipulation technique can be useful in applications such as micro assembly, particle concentration, and high-precision particle separation.