Development of Sodium Hybrid Battery... Charging Within Tens of Seconds

Performance of Sodium-Ion Hybrid Storage Device and Actual Operating Images Using Solar Modules

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] Domestic researchers have developed a sodium-ion battery to replace lithium-ion batteries. This battery is expected to be spotlighted as the next-generation battery because it is cheaper than lithium batteries, has a lower risk of fire, and charges faster.

KAIST announced on the 6th that a research team led by Professor Junggu Kang of the EEWS Graduate School developed a sodium-ion-based hybrid battery. The significance of this research lies in the development of a next-generation battery that overcomes most of the drawbacks of lithium-ion batteries.

Sodium-ion battery... Hybrid extends lifespan

Schematic diagram illustrating the configuration and storage mechanism of a sodium-ion hybrid energy storage device

The research team focused on sodium to develop a battery better than lithium-ion batteries. Sodium-ion-based energy storage devices are safe, eco-friendly, and have high resource accessibility, making them relatively very inexpensive.

However, high-performance electrodes were necessary for practical use. Accordingly, the research team developed a hybrid battery by combining two electrodes with different storage mechanisms in the cathode and anode, maintaining high capacity while delivering high output.

The team constructed the electrodes by combining nitrogen-doped three-dimensional mesoporous metal oxide nanostructures with nitrogen-doped graphene. The mesoporous metal oxide nanostructures developed in this study have numerous open mesopores formed between nanoparticles sized 5 to 10 nanometers. These pores are arranged in a three-dimensionally connected structure between nanoparticles, which can enhance the insufficient electrical conductivity.

The research team explained that this battery maintains storage capacity at the same level as other sodium-based batteries while exhibiting more than 300 times higher power density, enabling charging within tens of seconds.

Potential to replace lithium-ion batteries

Kang Jeong-gu, EEWS Graduate School Professor

The research team expects this battery to be used in various portable electronic devices that require rapid charging. Lithium-ion batteries currently used in portable devices have limitations such as battery fires, short lifespan, high prices of lithium minerals, insufficient rare earth element deposits, and slow electrochemical reaction speeds.

Professor Kang said, "Because it is sodium-based, it can be produced at low cost and has excellent usability, contributing to the commercialization of energy storage devices with higher energy density than existing ones. Rapid charging is possible through a low-power charging system, making it applicable to electric vehicles and portable electronic devices."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.