Na‐Ion Batteries for Large Scale Applications: A Review on Anode Materials and Solid Electrolyte Interphase Formation

Abstract

Once lithium-ion battery (LIB) technology has reached a maturity level enough to be the battery of choice for consumer electronics and power tools, it will be very well positioned to take over transport applications while displacing, for instance, NiCd and Ni-MH technologies. However, a major challenge is waiting for us in the near term: large scale and low cost stationary energy storage. This will be crucial for boosting the efficiency, adaptability, and reliability of the next-generation power grid. The use of stationary energy storage systems coupled to the The urgent need for optimizing the available energy through smart grids and efficient large-scale energy storage systems is pushing the construction and deployment of Li-ion batteries in the MW range which, in the long term, are expected to hit the GW dimension while demanding over 1000 ton of positive active material per system. This amount of Li-based material is equivalent to almost 1% of current Li consumption and can strongly influence the evolution of the lithium supply and cost. Given this uncertainty, it becomes mandatory to develop an energy storage technology that depends on almost infinite and widespread resources: Na-ion batteries are the best technology for large-scale applications. With small working cells in the market that cannot compete in cost ($/W h) with commercial Li-ion batteries, the consolidation of Na-ion batteries mainly depends on increasing their energy density and stability, the negative electrodes being at the heart of these two requirements. Promising Na-based negative electrodes for large-scale battery applications are reviewed, along with the study of the solid electrolyte interphase formed in the anode surface, which is at the origin of most of the stability problems.

Hard Carbons for Sodium‐Ion Battery Anodes: Synthetic Strategies, Material Properties, and Storage Mechanisms

“…[98,99] These compounds contain sodium in their composition, andt hus, have ah eavy toll on the electrolyte and solvent that can hugelyi mpact on the performance. This also accounts fort he huge ICLs from these anode materials.…”

Recent Progress in Iron‐Based Electrode Materials for Grid‐Scale Sodium‐Ion Batteries

“…Due to the large abundance and low cost of sodium resources and similar chemical/electrochemical properties to established lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), room temperature sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) emerge as a potential technology for grid‐scale energy storage . A large number of materials, such as transition metal oxides, phosphates, ferrocyanides, metal alloys, and hard carbon, have been investigated and have shown acceptable electrochemical performance, and some reviews have summarized recent developments in electrodes for SIBs . However, due to the higher molar weight of the Na element and more positive standard electrochemical potential of Na/Na + (compared to Li/Li + ), SIBs exhibit lower energy densities than LIBs.…”

Nonaqueous Sodium‐Ion Full Cells: Status, Strategies, and Prospects

“…Many stubborn shortcomings such as large volume expansion, poor cycle stability, low initial Coulombic efficiency, etc., make the anode even beyond the cathode challenging that limits battery performance. Similar to the strategies employed by cathode materials, these dilemmas in a somewhat have been well resolved, and relevant progresses can be fully understood in some Reviews . As far as electrolytes are concerned, they can be assigned to nonaqueous liquid, quasi‐solid‐state and all‐solid‐state electrolyte.…”