Batteries articles from across Nature Portfolio

Electrolyte additives are known to enhance the performance and life cycle of sodium-ion batteries at room temperature, but studies focusing on high-temperature conditions are lacking. Here, the authors report on the effect of additives on the thermal stability and performance of a non-flammable and fluorine-free electrolyte solution at 40 °C and 55 °C.

Li-rich oxides face challenges such as voltage decay and slow kinetics due to irreversible anionic reaction. Here, authors activated the Ni-t2g orbitals through generating superexchange interactions via Be doping. By triggering the reduction coupling mechanism, the reversibility and kinetics of the anionic reaction are effectively improved.

The mechanical instability of sulfur cathodes limits the cycling stability of lithium-sulfur batteries. Here, a stress-tolerant sulfur cathode is achieved by applying a super-stretchable polymer coating via chemical vapor deposition, enhancing cycling stability and reducing polysulfide shuttle

Non-covalent dispersion interactions between a static framework of anions and a sublattice of mobile cations are paramount to the structural stability of solid electrolytes. Here the authors show that these interactions regulate the migration energy barrier using an advanced hybrid functional coupled with a non-local many-body dispersion term that accounts for long-range exchange-correlation effects in M₂B₁₂H₁₂ closo-dodecaborates.

Instability is a key challenge in aqueous sodium-ion batteries. Here, authors propose a Na-rich birnessite with high Na content and minimal Mn defects, suppressing Mn migration and its accompanying domino degradation effect, which enables a wide potential window and improved structural stability.

Coulometric titration time analysis (CTTA) has recently been introduced as a quantitative electrochemical technique to assess the compatibility of Li-ion electrolytes with metallic lithium. Here, the authors outline that the applied stack pressure is a critical factor in influencing CTTA results, highlighting the need for careful stack pressure assessment to perform conclusive CTTA experiments.

Carbon materials such as graphite are important in energy storage technologies, but their mining and/or synthesis can have large environmental impacts. UP Catalyst synthesizes these materials directly from CO₂ in an electrolysis process.

Europe’s demand for high-energy batteries is likely to surpass 1.0 TWh per year by 2030, and is expected to further outpace domestic production despite the latter’s ambitious growth. To strengthen Europe’s battery self-sufficiency and competitiveness, policy-makers must accelerate the expansion of production capacity and implement reliable industrial policies that account for sustained demand growth toward and beyond 2030.

Oliver Thomas describes using resonant inelastic X-ray scattering for characterizing materials for battery electrodes.