Fundamentals, status and promise of sodium-based batteries

Na-based batteries have shown substantial progress in recent years and are promising candidates for mitigating the supply risks associated with Li-based batteries. In this Review, Na and Li batteries are compared in terms of fundamental principles and specific materials. Principles for the rational design of a Na battery architecture are discussed. Recent prototypes are surveyed to demonstrate that Na cells offer realistic alternatives that are competitive with some Li cells in terms of performance.