This report provides an overview of development activities that enable the scale‐up and thereby a pathway toward the commercialization of sodium‐ion battery technologies for the energy storage market. The electrochemical performance of active materials and full cell performance of batteries developed by two startup companies, Novasis Energies, Inc. and Faradion Limited, are discussed in detail. Both companies offer low‐cost sodium‐ion battery chemistries with uniquely developed active materials that afford high rate capability and cycling stability. Their technologies are highly scalable due to the implementation of abundant and predominantly nontoxic elements and the ability to utilize common battery fabrication and manufacturing equipment. Both companies utilize active materials that are cost competitive compared to low‐cost lithium‐ion battery materials while exhibiting very similar specific capacity. In addition, improved safety characteristics with respect to operation and transportation distinguish the described sodium‐ion batteries from their incumbent lithium‐ion counterparts. The featured technology is particularly attractive for large‐scale energy storage applications.

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This review discusses the contribution of physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes to the development of electrochemical energy storage systems with emphasis on solid‐state batteries. A brief overview of different PVD technologies and details highlighting the utility of PVD for the fabrication and characterization of individual battery materials are provided. In this context, the key methods that have been developed for the fabrication of solid electrolytes and active electrode materials with well‐defined properties are described, and demonstrations of how these techniques facilitate the in‐depth understanding of fundamental material properties and interfacial phenomena as well as the development of new materials are provided. Beyond the discussion of single components and interfaces, the progress on the device scale is also presented. State‐of‐the‐art solid‐state batteries, both academic and commercial types, are assessed in view of energy and power density as well as long‐term stability. Finally, recent efforts to improve the power and energy density through the development of 3D‐structured cells and the investigation of bulk cells are discussed.

Crystalline microspheres of Nb-doped TiO(2) with a high specific surface area were synthesized using a templating method exploiting ionic interactions between nascent inorganic components and an ionomer template. The microspheres exhibit a porosity gradient, with a meso-macroporous kernel, and a mesoporous shell. The material has been investigated as cathode electrocatalyst support for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. A uniform dispersion of Pt particles on the Nb-doped TiO(2) support was obtained using a microwave method, and the electrochemical properties assessed by cyclic voltammetry. Nb-TiO(2) supported Pt demonstrated very high stability, as after 1000 voltammetric cycles, 85% of the electroactive Pt area remained compared to 47% in the case of commercial Pt on carbon. For the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which takes place at the cathode, the highest stability was again obtained with the Nb-doped titania-based material even though the mass activity calculated at 0.9 V vs RHE was slightly lower. The microspherical structured and mesoporous Nb-doped TiO(2) is an alternative support to carbon for PEM fuel cells.

This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues.Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. The electrochemical stability of Pt deposited on TiO 2 based nanofibers was compared with commercially available carbon supported Pt. Prior to the Pt deposition the TiO 2 material, which was either undoped or Nb doped, was air calcined. In one case the undoped TiO 2 was also reduced in a hydrogen atmosphere. XRD analysis revealed that the unreduced TiO 2 was present in the anatase phase, irrespective of whether the Nb dopant was present, whereas the rutile phase was formed due to reduction with H 2 . The diameter of the TiO 2 fibers varied from 50 to 100 nm, and the average Pt particle diameter was approximately 5 nm. Pt supported on TiO 2 was more stable than Pt supported on C when subjected to 1000 voltammetric cycles in the range of 0.05-1.3 V vs. RHE. Nb doped TiO 2 showed the highest stability, retaining 60% of the electrochemically active surface area after 1000 cycles compared to the state after 100 cycles, whereas the carbon supported catalyst retained 20% of the active surface area. The commercial catalyst had the highest oxygen reduction activity due to its larger specific area (17.1 m 2 g −1 vs. 5.0 m 2 g −1 for Pt/TiO 2 -Nb, measured after 100 cycles) and the higher support conductivity. The Pt supported on Nb doped or on H 2 reduced TiO 2 was more active than Pt supported on air calcined and otherwise unmodified TiO 2 .Crown