LQM's Martin Mansson replaces Li with Na for greener batteries

Lithium ion batteries are highly efficient and provide electrical energy for laptops, mobile phones and lately also for the growing electric car market. But there are drawbacks to this technology: lithium is expensive and its extraction rather harmful to the environment. One possible alternative might be to substitute lithium with sodium – an element with similar chemical properties but much more abundant. Charging and discharging these batteries occurs via ion migration in and out of the battery electrodes. Therefore, to be able to develop the necessary sodium-based batteries, it is crucial to understand how sodium ions move in the relevant materials. Now, for the first time, LQM's Marting Mansson and collaborators at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have determined the paths along which sodium ions move in a prospective battery material. The results are published in the journal Physical Review Letters.