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Lithium-ion batteries have long dominated the market as the go-to power source for electric vehicles. They are also increasingly being considered for storage of renewable energy to be used on the electric grid. However, with the rapid expansion of this market, supply shortages of lithium are projected within the next five to 10 years.

"Sodium-ion batteries are emerging as a compelling alternative to lithium-ion batteries due to the greater abundance and lower cost of sodium," said Gui-Liang Xu, a chemist at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory.

To date, there has been a serious roadblock to the commercialization of such batteries. In particular, the performance of the sodium-containing cathode rapidly declines with repeated discharge and charge.

A team at Argonne has made important strides in resolving this issue with a new design for a sodium-ion oxide cathode. It is closely based on an earlier Argonne design for a lithium-ion oxide cathode with proven high energy storage capacity and long life. The research is published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

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