TY - JOUR
T1 - Reactivating dead sodium for durable and high-rate anode-free sodium batteries
AU - Wang, Weihao
AU - Wang, Jiawei
AU - Zhu, Qiaonan
AU - Dong, Shuai
AU - Wu, Liqiang
AU - Lyu, Siqi
AU - Gao, Yong
AU - Wang, Sicong
AU - Zou, Shuaihan
AU - Liu, Xinyu
AU - Zhou, Bin
AU - Yang, Daojun
AU - Zhou, Jing
AU - Song, Wei Li
AU - Wang, Hua
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2026.
PY - 2026/12
Y1 - 2026/12
N2 - Reactivating dead alkali metal is an effective strategy for extending the lifespan of alkali metal batteries. Until now, relevant works are mainly concentrated in lithium batteries, however, the reactivation of dead Na remains a mystery. Herein, dead Na reactivation is realized by a reverse-pulse-interspersed charging strategy. Transient large reverse currents are incorporated into the battery charging protocol, during which dead Na can be reactivated by the dielectrophoresis effect. Different from those electrochemical protocols for dead lithium reactivation during discharging or rest, this strategy for reactivating dead Na in charging shows practicality. Moreover, this strategy homogenizes Na deposition by mitigating ion concentration polarization, thus further suppressing dead Na accumulation. As a proof of concept, durable and high-rate anode-free sodium batteries are realized by this strategy. Specifically, the Al | |Na4Fe3(PO4)2(P2O7) anode-free coin cell using this strategy achieves a doubled cycle life at 1 C. Meanwhile, an Ah-level Al | |Na4Fe3(PO4)2(P2O7) anode-free pouch battery exhibits high capacity retentions of 80.0% over 830 cycles and 74.6% over 1000 cycles at 2 C. Furthermore, a 180 Wh/kg Al | |Na4Fe3(PO4)2(P2O7) pouch battery delivers a long lifespan at 1 C, demonstrating application potential. This reverse-pulse-interspersed charging strategy paves a practical avenue for high-performance alkali metal batteries.
AB - Reactivating dead alkali metal is an effective strategy for extending the lifespan of alkali metal batteries. Until now, relevant works are mainly concentrated in lithium batteries, however, the reactivation of dead Na remains a mystery. Herein, dead Na reactivation is realized by a reverse-pulse-interspersed charging strategy. Transient large reverse currents are incorporated into the battery charging protocol, during which dead Na can be reactivated by the dielectrophoresis effect. Different from those electrochemical protocols for dead lithium reactivation during discharging or rest, this strategy for reactivating dead Na in charging shows practicality. Moreover, this strategy homogenizes Na deposition by mitigating ion concentration polarization, thus further suppressing dead Na accumulation. As a proof of concept, durable and high-rate anode-free sodium batteries are realized by this strategy. Specifically, the Al | |Na4Fe3(PO4)2(P2O7) anode-free coin cell using this strategy achieves a doubled cycle life at 1 C. Meanwhile, an Ah-level Al | |Na4Fe3(PO4)2(P2O7) anode-free pouch battery exhibits high capacity retentions of 80.0% over 830 cycles and 74.6% over 1000 cycles at 2 C. Furthermore, a 180 Wh/kg Al | |Na4Fe3(PO4)2(P2O7) pouch battery delivers a long lifespan at 1 C, demonstrating application potential. This reverse-pulse-interspersed charging strategy paves a practical avenue for high-performance alkali metal batteries.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105044337072
U2 - 10.1038/s41467-026-72848-0
DO - 10.1038/s41467-026-72848-0
M3 - Article
C2 - 42082475
AN - SCOPUS:105044337072
SN - 2041-1723
VL - 17
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
IS - 1
M1 - 6020
ER -