Wang Huan, Matios Edward, Luo Jianmin, Li Weiyang
Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USA.
Chem Soc Rev. 2020 Jun 21;49(12):3783-3805. doi: 10.1039/d0cs00033g. Epub 2020 May 29.
Rechargeable sodium (Na) based batteries have gained tremendous research interest because of the high natural abundance and low cost of Na resources, as well as electrochemical similarities with lithium (Li) based batteries. However, despite the great potential as a candidate for next-generation grid-scale energy storage, the implementation of the Na metal anode has been primarily hindered by dendritic and "dead" Na formation that leads to low Coulombic efficiency, short lifespan and even safety concerns. Na dendrite formation mainly originates from the uncontrolled Na deposition behavior in the absence of nucleation site regulation. Hence, the Na nucleation and initial stage of growth are critically important for the final morphology of Na metal. Here, this tutorial review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the importance of the nucleation behavior towards dendrite-free Na metal anodes. Firstly, we start with an introduction about the advantages of Na metal batteries over the Li counterpart and the challenges faced by Na metal anodes. The differences between metallic Li and Na are summarized according to advanced in situ characterization techniques. Next, we elucidate the key factors that influence the Na nucleation and growth behaviors based on the existing theoretical models. Then, we review the state-of-the-art approaches that have been applied to effectively regulate Na nucleation for dendrite-free Na deposition. Lastly, we conclude the review with perspectives on realizing safe Na metal batteries with high energy density.
基于钠（Na）的可充电电池因其钠资源的高天然丰度、低成本以及与基于锂（Li）的电池在电化学方面的相似性而引起了极大的研究兴趣。然而，尽管作为下一代电网规模储能的候选者具有巨大潜力，但钠金属负极的应用主要受到枝晶状和“死”钠形成的阻碍，这导致库仑效率低、寿命短甚至存在安全隐患。钠枝晶的形成主要源于在缺乏成核位点调控的情况下钠的无控制沉积行为。因此，钠的成核和生长初期对于钠金属的最终形态至关重要。在此，本教程综述旨在全面理解成核行为对于无枝晶钠金属负极的重要性。首先，我们介绍钠金属电池相对于锂金属电池的优势以及钠金属负极面临的挑战。根据先进的原位表征技术总结金属锂和钠之间的差异。接下来，我们基于现有的理论模型阐明影响钠成核和生长行为的关键因素。然后，我们综述已应用于有效调控钠成核以实现无枝晶钠沉积的最新方法。最后，我们以关于实现具有高能量密度的安全钠金属电池的展望来结束本综述。
