A team of scientists has stabilised a high-performing sodium compound that could unlock safer, cheaper and greener solid-state batteries, putting sodium one step nearer mainstream use in electromobility and grid storage.
The breakthrough hinges on a metastable form of sodium hydridoborate, which the researchers heated to the brink of crystallisation and then quenched to lock in a high-conductivity phase. This novel phase exhibits ionic conductivity at least an order of magnitude greater than previous analogues, enabling thick, energy-dense cathodes while maintaining performance down to subzero temperatures.
The research, published in Joule, was led by Sam Oh of A*STAR’s Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, collaborating with the University of Chicago’s Molecular Engineering lab under Y. Shirley Meng. The team paired the new electrolyte with an O3-type cathode coated in a chloride-based solid electrolyte, allowing high areal loading cathodes that minimise inactive material.
“This metastable structure of sodium hydridoborate … has a very high ionic conductivity, at least one order of magnitude higher than the one reported in the literature,” Oh said. Because the technique is well known in materials science, the researchers argue scaling may be more feasible than for wholly novel materials.
Adoption of sodium in solid-state architectures addresses cost and supply constraints of lithium. Lithium, cobalt and nickel are expensive, environmentally burdensome to mine, and subject to supply chain bottlenecks. Sodium is abundant and cheaper, and these new results suggest it could compete more closely in electrochemical performance.
Complementary developments reinforce the momentum behind sodium-based battery systems. Chinese battery manufacturer CATL has launched its sodium-ion brand, Naxtra, targeting mass production in December 2025. Naxtra is rated at 175 Wh/kg, close to lithium iron phosphate benchmarks, and claims a 500 km driving range along with exceptional cycle life. CATL’s founder, Robin Zeng, expects sodium-ion technology to capture a substantial share of the LFP market.
In parallel, another advance involved constructing a sodium solid-state cell with energy density comparable to lithium-ion levels. A thin NASICON bilayer architecture achieved densities up to 286 Wh/kg while maintaining high rate charge/discharge performance across temperature ranges. That design supports the idea that sodium solid-state systems could compete not only in grid storage but also in electric vehicle contexts.
Nevertheless, challenges remain. Sodium ions are larger than lithium, yielding slower diffusion and greater structural strain in electrodes. Many laboratories are working on novel electrode materials, such as advanced carbon allotropes for better sodium accommodation. One such effort, from a recent theoretical study, introduced a two-dimensional “β-Irida-graphene” lattice with low diffusion barriers and high predicted capacity for sodium storage.
On the manufacturing side, pushing from lab-scale cells to gigawatt factories will require process compatibility, reproducibility and quality control at scale. Sodium solid-state architectures still run behind in total cycle life, temperature stability and mechanical durability compared to mature lithium systems.
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