Researchers have developed a new coin-type sodium-based battery that can charge rapidly “in seconds” and could potentially power everything from smartphones to electric vehicles in the future.
The new sodium-ion hybrid fuel cells could serve as a"viable next-generation alternative to lithium-ion batteries," the researchers said in a joint statement, with applications ranging from laptops and mobile devices to electric vehicles and aerospace technologies. However, existing sodium-ion batteries offer lower power output and storage capacity than lithium-ion batteries and take longer to charge, thus limiting their potential applications. In the new study, the researchers sought a way to tackle the shortcomings of the technology.
They achieved their prototype by developing a new type of anode from ultrafine iron sulfide particles embedded in sulfur-doped carbon and graphene. This improved conductivity and energy storage. For the cathode, they used a"zeolitic imidazolate framework" — a type of metal-organic framework that combines metal ions with organic molecules to create a porous, crystalline structure. This improved how quickly the battery could charge and discharge.