Design and Optimization of Critical Materials for Lithium or Sodium Batteries

A special issue of Batteries (ISSN 2313-0105). This special issue belongs to the section "Battery Materials and Interfaces: Anode, Cathode, Separators and Electrolytes or Others".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 13 March 2026 | Viewed by 21

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Interests: electrode materials and devices for rechargeable lithium/sodium batteries
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Guest Editor
Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Interests: high–specific–anode materials for lithium based rechargeable batteries

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Guest Editor
College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434000, China
Interests: high performance anode for solid-state Li metal battery

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Lithium and sodium batteries are pivotal for advancing portable electronics, electric vehicles, and grid-scale energy storage. However, challenges related to energy density, cycle life, safety, and cost persist, largely tied to the performance limitations of critical components: cathodes, anodes, and electrolytes. This Special Issue focuses on the rational design and optimization of critical materials—including cathodes, anodes, and electrolytes—for next-generation lithium/sodium batteries. We seek contributions addressing novel material discovery, innovative structure design (e.g., nanostructuring, coatings, composites), and advanced performance optimization strategies for both lithium and sodium batteries, with emphasis on understanding and engineering the interplay between material structure, properties, and electrochemical performance and the goal of fostering breakthroughs that enhance energy density, longevity, rate capability, and safety, accelerating the development of next-generation high-performance and sustainable battery systems.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Advanced Cathode Materials: Design, synthesis, and optimization of high-capacity, stable, and cost-effective cathodes for Li/Na batteries.
  2. Novel Anode Materials: Development and optimization of next-generation anodes beyond graphite/hard carbon (e.g., Si, Sn, P, and Li/Na metal anodes).
  3. Electrolyte Engineering: Design of novel liquid, solid, and hybrid electrolytes (including additives, ionic liquids, and solid-state) for enhanced stability, safety, and performance in Li/Na systems.
  4. Material Structure-Property Relationships: Fundamental studies linking the composition, morphology, nanostructure, and surface chemistry of battery materials to their electrochemical behavior.
  5. Interface Engineering and Interphases: Understanding, characterization, and control of electrode-electrolyte interfaces and solid electrolyte interphase (SEI)/cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) formation in Li/Na batteries.
  6. Performance Optimization Strategies: Computational and experimental approaches (e.g., doping, coating, composite design, electrode architecture) to enhance energy density, cycle life, rate capability, and safety.
  7. Emerging Material Systems: Exploration of new material concepts (organic, bio-inspired) and application of artificial intelligence/machine learning for accelerated material discovery, design, and optimization.

Dr. Lin Fu
Dr. Xiancheng Wang
Dr. Guocheng Li
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Batteries is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • lithium batteries
  • sodium batteries
  • cathodes
  • anodes
  • electrolytes
  • structure design
  • performance optimization

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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