Surrey researchers find hydrated sodium material nearly doubles battery charge
University of Surrey researchers found that retaining water in a sodium vanadate hydrate cathode boosted its charge capacity, charging speed and stability compared with its dried counterpart. The material held nearly twice as much charge as typical sodium-ion cathodes and remained stable for more than 400 cycles, according to the study in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A. In salt-water tests, the battery also removed sodium ions while a graphite electrode extracted chloride, a process known as electrochemical desalination.
Bottom line — The Surrey team’s salt-water tests point to a possible battery that stores energy while desalinating water.
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The material, nanostructured sodium vanadate hydrate (NVOH), naturally holds water in its crystalline structure, the University of Surrey said.
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Researchers traditionally heat-treated the material to remove water, which was thought to weaken its stability, ScienceDaily reported.
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Lead author Daniel Commandeur said the team’s results were unexpected and that NVOH performed better and remained more stable than anticipated, according to ScienceDaily.
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The University of Surrey said potential uses for sodium-ion batteries include grid storage and electric vehicles.