Electrochemical Analysis for Expanding Sodium-Ion Battery Applications
A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "D2: Electrochem: Batteries, Fuel Cells, Capacitors".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 June 2026 | Viewed by 14
Special Issue Editors
Interests: design and discovery of Na-ion battery materials
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Sodium-ion batteries represent an attractive alternative to lithium-ion batteries as next-generation energy storage technologies. Unfortunately, numerous challenges remain before widespread adoption can be achieved, including solid electrode–electrolyte interface (SEI) design and stability, capacity fade, electrolyte degradation, thermal stability, dendrite formation, and charge/discharge speed. For all solid-state sodium-ion batteries, only a handful of structural frameworks are known conductors, posing a significant challenge for their integration as solid-state electrolytes. Researchers encounter additional engineering and characterization challenges specifically related to the accurate analysis of local, interfacial, and device-scale phenomena. Recent advances in noninvasive operando imaging techniques show promise but lack broad chemical transferability and accessibility. On the computational end, the more limited number of known electrodes and electrolytes for Na-Ion batteries, coupled with a smaller amount of published works, restricts the data points necessary for training state-of-the-art machine learning and artificial intelligence models for material and processing solutions. Fundamental research on material chemistries, structure–property relationships, performance, and degradation is necessary to accelerate the adoption of sodium ion batteries.
We have created this Special Issue of Energies to collate works poised to address such challenges. We cordially invite submissions related to current developments and evolving applications on sodium ion battery design and characterization. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Characterization methods, including operando and in situ electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.
- Design, synthesis, and characterization of alternative materials for sodium-ion electrodes or electrolytes.
- Machine learning and artificial intelligence models for prediction, design, and characterization of sodium ion battery materials.
- Computational simulation of sodium ion battery materials, such as through property prediction, structure–property relationship studies, and design of evolving SEI materials.
- Mechanisms to expand the safety of sodium ion batteries, including through the prevention of dendrite formation.
- Thermodynamic models to understand and optimize electrochemical battery performance.
- Models and characterization of thermal stability.
We look forward to carefully and diligently reviewing all submitted works to help shape the expanding field of sodium-ion energy storage.
Dr. Lauren N. Walters
Dr. Tara P Mishra
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- sodium-ion batteries
- electrochemical analysis
- energy storage
- solid electrolytes
- dendrite prevention
- operando characterization
- materials design
- in situ characterization
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