Recent progress on advanced high energy electrode materials for sodium ion batteries

The growing demand for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) in commercial applications has made it imperative to meet the commercial requirements. However, SIBs face significant challenges because of their poor cyclability and low reversible capacity compared with their rival lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). To address these challenges, various techniques, design strategies, surface engineering, and structural modifications have been developed to enhance the electrochemical performance of SIBs. This review focuses on recent developments in improving the electrochemical performance and cyclability of novel promising electrode materials for SIBs. We discuss several unique state-of-the-art research studies of the past five years that demonstrated excellent electrochemical performance through effective methodologies, surface modulations, and substitution of novel elements into the structure, and boosted the efficiency of the materials. Furthermore, we propose that it is important to adopt a nuanced approach when designing SIBs. Rather than copying the designs and methods used for LIBs, ideas should be absorbed from them and approaches should be tailored to meet the specific requirements of SIBs. This will enable the development of SIBs that are optimized for their intended applications and will avoid the challenges that have hindered the commercial success of earlier attempts at constructing SIBs. Thus, the key to creating high-performance SIBs is to draw inspiration from the best practices used in LIBs, while simultaneously innovating and developing new approaches tailored to the unique characteristics of SIBs.