One of the more promising candidates for batteries beyond the current standard of lithium-ion materials is the sodium-ion (Na-ion) battery. Na-ion is particularly attractive because of the greater abundance and lower cost of sodium compared with lithium. In addition, when cycled at high voltage (4.5 V), a sodium-ion battery can.
Researchers have uncovered a new avenue for overcoming the performance decline that occurs with repeated cycling in the cathodes of next-generation batteries. This discovery could find applications in batteries for transportation and the electric grid.