Electroinitiated interfacial healing for external pressure-free solid-state sodium metal batteries.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41168187.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-025-64612-7 and PMC identifier 12575646.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Solid-state sodium metal batteries with inorganic electrolytes have long been heralded as candidates for post-lithium-ion batteries. However, challenges including interfacial instability and air sensitivity continue to impede their path to commercialization. Here, we propose an interfacial healing strategy for solid-state sodium metal batteries by utilizing an electroinitiated accelerated polymerization process facilitated by charged microdroplets to increase the polymerization rate by 21.4 times. We show that the charge-driven electrowetting enables efficient coating layers at interfaces, which impart prolonged air stability and preferentially fill voids and cracks, further constructing stable interfaces with improved compatibility and preventing dendrite-induced crack propagation. A higher critical current density of 6.8 mA cm<sup>-2</sup> is achieved, and assembled cells exhibit prolonged cycling life at 1.0 C over 1000 cycles. In particular, the electroinitiated accelerated polymerization-assisted interfacial healing strategy enables Ah-level pouch cells to undergo stable long-term cycling without any clamping force, demonstrating the capabilities of solid-state batteries in practical applications.