Sodium–Air Battery: The Next Frontier in Green Energy Storage
As the world accelerates toward renewable energy and electric vehicles, the need for efficient, scalable, and environmentally friendly energy storage systems has become paramount. Among the promising candidates for next-generation batteries, sodium–air (Na–air) batteries have emerged as a high-energy-density solution that potentially outperforms current lithium-ion technologies, both in cost and sustainability. How Sodium–Air Batteries Work Sodium–air batteries are a type of metal–air battery , where sodium (Na) serves as the anode and oxygen (O₂) from air acts as the cathode reactant. Working Principle: Discharge Reaction : At the anode: Na → Na⁺ + e⁻ At the cathode: O₂ + Na⁺ + e⁻ → NaO₂ (or Na₂O₂ depending on the pathway) Overall: Na + O₂ → NaO₂ (or Na₂O₂ ) Charge Reaction (Reversible): NaO₂ → Na + O₂ The sodium ions migrate through the electrolyte , while oxygen is supplied from the ambient air, making the battery "breathe." Environmental Safety and...