Electrochemical Energy Storage in Sodium-Ion and Lithium-Ion Batteries

Electrochemical energy storage in sodium-ion and lithium-ion batteries relies on the reversible movement of alkali ions between positive and negative electrodes via an electrolyte, separated by a porous membrane. Both chemistries employ intercalation and conversion reactions but differ in ionic radius, redox potential and raw‐material abundance. Lithium-ion batteries have achieved dominance in portable electronics and electric vehicles owing to their high energy density, long cycle life and mature supply chains. However, limited lithium resources and price volatility motivate interest in sodium-ion systems, which exploit more abundant and cost-effective sodium precursors and show promise for grid-scale and stationary applications. Critical challenges shared by both technologies include mitigating electrode volume changes, enhancing ionic and electronic transport, stabilising the solid electrolyte interphase and engineering robust electrode architectures. Recent progress in nanostructuring, defect modulation and composite fabrication has advanced capacity, rate performance and cycling stability. Future work centres on scalable synthesis of high-performance materials, in-depth characterisation of dynamic structural evolution during cycling and integration into practical cell formats to meet growing demands for sustainable, high-power energy storage.

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Electrochemical Energy Storage in Sodium-Ion and Lithium-Ion Batteries publication trend

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Technical terms

Specific capacity: The amount of electric charge stored per unit mass of electrode material, expressed in mAh g^–1.

Intercalation: Reversible insertion of ions into the crystal lattice of the electrode without significant structural change.

Conversion reaction: Electrochemical process in which the electrode material transforms into new phases upon ion insertion and extraction, often involving complete reorganisation of chemical bonds.

Pseudocapacitance: A charge-storage mechanism involving fast surface or near-surface redox reactions that contribute capacitance beyond that of purely electrostatic processes.

Solid electrolyte interphase (SEI): A passivation layer formed on the electrode surface during initial cycles that influences ion transport, Coulombic efficiency and cycle life.

References

1. Coupling Lattice Strain and Sulfur Vacancy in Tin Monosulfide/Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite for High‐Performance Sodium‐Ion Storage. Energy & Environmental Materials (2025).
2. A General Strategy to Fabricate Carbon‐Coated 3D Porous Interconnected Metal Sulfides: Case Study of SnS/C Nanocomposite for High‐Performance Lithium and Sodium Ion Batteries. Advanced Science (2015).
3. Graphene‐Like Carbon Film Wrapped Tin (II) Sulfide Nanosheet Arrays on Porous Carbon Fibers with Enhanced Electrochemical Kinetics as High‐Performance Li and Na Ion Battery Anodes. Advanced Science (2020).