Several emerging battery technologies are currently considered to take the share of the dominant position taken by lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in the field of energy storage. Among them, owing to their potential lower cost and higher sustainability compared to the current lithium-based technology, sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have the potential to dominate the future stationary storage market, filling the gap between energy production and utilization and the electrified transport sector. SIBs have already demonstrated potential application in relevant environments with several companies working toward commercialization. However, further work is still needed to fully understand and rationally design high performance SIB materials.
The challenges to be tackled lie at the interface of chemistry, materials science, electrochemistry, surface science, and engineering. A multidisciplinary approach is needed to understand the key interfaces, structures, and mechanisms relevant to these systems. Furthermore, no single technique can simultaneously achieve the chemical, structural, temporal, and spatial sensitivity required to understand all aspects. Similarly, combinations of experimental and computational methods are required to unveil key knowledge and critical insights necessary for the development of the future SIB technology.
For this article collection, we encourage the submission of relevant manuscripts including original research articles, short communications, (mini) reviews and perspectives in the topic of sodium-based electrochemical energy storage systems. Contributions will focus on synthetic and electrochemical studies, and physicochemical characterisations of active and inactive materials including, positive and negative electrode materials, electrolytes, separators, binders, conductive additives, current collectors, and their implementation in aqueous and non-aqueous SIBs.
We encourage the submission of papers focused on but not limited to:
• Sodium-ion battery material degradation
• Interfaces and interphases investigation in sodium-ion batteries
• Processes for electrode preparation and synthesis of electrodes materials
• Bulk and surface properties characterization combined with electrochemical analysis for sodium-ion battery analysis
• Characterization techniques for bulk and surface properties of sodium-ion battery materials
• Novel electrode materials and electrolytes and their electrochemical behaviour in sodium cells
• Modelling and simulations of sodium-ion battery components (electrodes, electrolytes, interfaces)
Keywords: Sodium-ion batteries, electrochemistry, characterization, degradation, interphases, mechanisms, sustainability, modelling and simulation, cell development
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
