Conspectus
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs)
are ubiquitous
in all modern portable
electronic devices such as mobile phones and laptops as well as for
powering hybrid electric vehicles and other large-scale devices. Sodium-ion
batteries (NIBs), which possess a similar cell configuration and working
mechanism, have already been proven as ideal alternatives for large-scale
energy storage systems. The advantages of NIBs are as follows. First,
sodium resources are abundantly distributed in the earth’s
crust. Second, high-performance NIB cathode materials can be fabricated
by using solely inexpensive and noncritical transition metals such
as manganese and iron, which further reduces the cost of the required
raw materials. Recently, the unprecedented demand for lithium and
other critical minerals has driven the cost of these primary raw materials
(which are utilized in LIBs) to a historic high and thus triggered
the commercialization of NIBs.
Sodium layered transition metal
oxides (Na
x
TMO2, TM = transition
metal/s), such as Mn-based
sodium layered oxides, represent an important family of cathode materials
with the potential to reduce costs, increase energy density and cycling
stability, and improve the safety of NIBs for large-scale energy storage.
However, these layered oxides face several key challenges, including
irreversible phase transformations during cycling, poor air stability,
complex charge-compensation mechanisms, and relatively high cost of
the full cell compared to LiFePO4-based LIBs. Our work
has focused on the techno-economic analysis, the degradation mechanism
of Na
x
TMO2 upon cycling and
air exposure, and the development of effective strategies to improve
their electrochemical performances and air stability. Correlating
structure–performance relationships and establishing general
design strategies of Na
x
TMO2 must be considered for the commercialization of NIBs.
In this
Account, we discuss the recent progress in the development
of air-stable, electrochemically stable, and cost-effective Na
x
TMO2. The favorable redox-active
cations for Na
x
TMO2 are emphasized
in terms of abundance, cost, supply, and energy density. Different
working mechanisms related to Na
x
TMO2 are summarized, including the electrochemical reversibility,
the main structural transformations during the charge and discharge
processes, and the charge-compensation mechanisms that accompany the
(de)intercalation of Na+ ions, followed by discussions
to improve the stability toward ambient air and upon cycling. Then
the techno-economics are presented, with an emphasis on cathodes with
different chemical compositions, cost breakdown of battery packs,
and Na deficiency, factors that are critical to the large-scale implementation.
Finally, this Account concludes with an overview of the remaining
challenges and new opportunities concerning the practical applications
of Na
x
TMO2, with an emphasis
on the cost, large-scale fabrication capability, and electrochemical
performance.