This battery recharges in seconds: the revolution for smartphones and electric vehicles?

A significant advancement in battery technology could soon revolutionize smartphone and electric vehicle technologies. Researchers have developed a new sodium-based battery capable of recharging in seconds, providing a promising alternative to current lithium-ion batteries.


Sodium batteries aren't new and have historically had many drawbacks. Scientists have combined materials for anodes from conventional batteries with cathodes from supercapacitors, creating a new type of sodium-ion battery distinguished by high capacity and rapid recharge capabilities.

Sodium, being far more abundant than lithium, makes these new batteries potentially less expensive and more sustainable. However, previous sodium-ion batteries had lower performance in terms of power and energy storage capacity compared to lithium-ion batteries and required longer charging times, limiting their applications.

In this new study, researchers aimed to overcome these shortcomings. They developed an innovative type of anode with ultrafine iron sulfide particles integrated within sulfur-doped carbon and graphene, thereby enhancing conductivity and energy storage. For the cathode, they used a "zeolitic imidazolate framework" (ZIF), a porous crystalline structure that combines metallic ions with organic molecules, thus improving the battery's charge and discharge speed.

The complete prototype achieved an energy storage capacity of 247 watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg) and could deliver power up to 34,748 watts per kilogram (W/kg), far surpassing existing technology. Additionally, the battery maintained its efficiency and performance over more than 5,000 charge and discharge cycles, suggesting enhanced longevity critical for applications such as energy storage on the electrical grid and electric vehicles.