Cascade reactors for long-life solid-state sodium–air batteries

Abstract Sodium (Na)-air batteries show significant potential as alternatives to lithium-air batteries due to their high theoretical energy density and the abundant availability of sodium reserves. Nevertheless, the formation of complex products, specifically NaO2, Na2O2, Na2CO3·xH2O, during the mul...

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Main Authors: Xue Sun, Haitao Li, Yajie Song, Jiaxuan Liu, Pengxiang Ji, Xincheng Lei, Xiangzhi zhang, Qingsong Liu, Menglu Li, Biao Deng, Dong Su, Jiajun Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60840-z
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author Xue Sun
Haitao Li
Yajie Song
Jiaxuan Liu
Pengxiang Ji
Xincheng Lei
Xiangzhi zhang
Qingsong Liu
Menglu Li
Biao Deng
Dong Su
Jiajun Wang
author_facet Xue Sun
Haitao Li
Yajie Song
Jiaxuan Liu
Pengxiang Ji
Xincheng Lei
Xiangzhi zhang
Qingsong Liu
Menglu Li
Biao Deng
Dong Su
Jiajun Wang
author_sort Xue Sun
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Sodium (Na)-air batteries show significant potential as alternatives to lithium-air batteries due to their high theoretical energy density and the abundant availability of sodium reserves. Nevertheless, the formation of complex products, specifically NaO2, Na2O2, Na2CO3·xH2O, during the multi-step reactions inevitably raises reconciled potential incompatibility that causes low efficiency and large overpotential. Here, we introduce a cascade electrocatalysis strategy that involves switchable metal and oxygen redox chemistry through electrochemical potential tuning. Leveraging the lithium ion spatial pinning effect, sodium ions trigger in the Na[Li1/3Ru2/3]O2 electrode system to toggle the geometric state at a low electrochemical potential and oscillate among different catalytic states to achieve sequential conversion of complicated multi-step intermediates. The Na[Li1/3Ru2/3]O2 catalyst effectively compartmentalizes the threshold potential that circumvents deactivating or competing pathways while coupling different catalytic cycles. As a result, the sodium-air battery employing this catalyst exhibits long-term reversibility over 1000 cycles with a decent catalysis efficiency exceeding 99%. Our results demonstrate that the cascade electrocatalysis strategy contributes to the design of integrated sodium-air batteries with long-term cycling stability.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2041-1723
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publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
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spelling doaj-art-e285b4483568494295333ea66be071d22025-08-20T03:45:31ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-0116111310.1038/s41467-025-60840-zCascade reactors for long-life solid-state sodium–air batteriesXue Sun0Haitao Li1Yajie Song2Jiaxuan Liu3Pengxiang Ji4Xincheng Lei5Xiangzhi zhang6Qingsong Liu7Menglu Li8Biao Deng9Dong Su10Jiajun Wang11MOE Engineering Research Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage and Carbon Neutrality in Cold Regions, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of TechnologyMOE Engineering Research Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage and Carbon Neutrality in Cold Regions, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of TechnologyMOE Engineering Research Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage and Carbon Neutrality in Cold Regions, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of TechnologyMOE Engineering Research Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage and Carbon Neutrality in Cold Regions, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of TechnologyBeijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesShanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesMOE Engineering Research Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage and Carbon Neutrality in Cold Regions, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of TechnologyMOE Engineering Research Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage and Carbon Neutrality in Cold Regions, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of TechnologyShanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesMOE Engineering Research Center for Electrochemical Energy Storage and Carbon Neutrality in Cold Regions, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of TechnologyAbstract Sodium (Na)-air batteries show significant potential as alternatives to lithium-air batteries due to their high theoretical energy density and the abundant availability of sodium reserves. Nevertheless, the formation of complex products, specifically NaO2, Na2O2, Na2CO3·xH2O, during the multi-step reactions inevitably raises reconciled potential incompatibility that causes low efficiency and large overpotential. Here, we introduce a cascade electrocatalysis strategy that involves switchable metal and oxygen redox chemistry through electrochemical potential tuning. Leveraging the lithium ion spatial pinning effect, sodium ions trigger in the Na[Li1/3Ru2/3]O2 electrode system to toggle the geometric state at a low electrochemical potential and oscillate among different catalytic states to achieve sequential conversion of complicated multi-step intermediates. The Na[Li1/3Ru2/3]O2 catalyst effectively compartmentalizes the threshold potential that circumvents deactivating or competing pathways while coupling different catalytic cycles. As a result, the sodium-air battery employing this catalyst exhibits long-term reversibility over 1000 cycles with a decent catalysis efficiency exceeding 99%. Our results demonstrate that the cascade electrocatalysis strategy contributes to the design of integrated sodium-air batteries with long-term cycling stability.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60840-z
spellingShingle Xue Sun
Haitao Li
Yajie Song
Jiaxuan Liu
Pengxiang Ji
Xincheng Lei
Xiangzhi zhang
Qingsong Liu
Menglu Li
Biao Deng
Dong Su
Jiajun Wang
Cascade reactors for long-life solid-state sodium–air batteries
Nature Communications
title Cascade reactors for long-life solid-state sodium–air batteries
title_full Cascade reactors for long-life solid-state sodium–air batteries
title_fullStr Cascade reactors for long-life solid-state sodium–air batteries
title_full_unstemmed Cascade reactors for long-life solid-state sodium–air batteries
title_short Cascade reactors for long-life solid-state sodium–air batteries
title_sort cascade reactors for long life solid state sodium air batteries
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60840-z
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