Research team led by Dr. Choi Sunghun at the Gwangju Clean Energy Research Center of Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) have developed a new binder material for high-voltage cathode materials to improve the stability and power output of sodium-ion battery.

Sodium has 440 times more reserves than lithium and is about 80 times cheaper as of 2021. This means that the use of sodium-ion batteries could significantly reduce the unit cost of battery production. Furthermore, sodium is an alkali ion with the same oxidation number as lithium ions, and its operating mechanism is very similar to that of lithium-ion batteries, making it an attractive option.

The research team's work has received recognition and was even selected as the inside front cover of the 10th anniversary March issue of the Journal of Materials Chemistry A (IF 14.511), an esteemed international journal in the field of materials and energy.