Topic: Sodium-Ion Batteries: From Materials Innovation to Practical Applications

Rechargeable batteries are essential to modern society, powering portable electronics, electric vehicles, and large-scale energy storage systems. Among emerging alternatives to conventional lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have gained significant attention due to the natural abundance, low cost, and wide geographical distribution of sodium. While SIBs share similar working principles with LIBs, they present unique scientific and technological challenges, including the development of high-performance electrode and electrolyte materials, optimization of interfacial stability, and enhancement of energy density and long-term cycling performance.

Recent advances in material synthesis and engineering have enabled the development of novel electrode materials, such as layered oxides, polyanionic compounds, and hard/soft carbons，as well as innovative electrolytes and binders that improve reversibility, safety, and scalability. At the same time, progress in in situ characterization techniques and computational modeling has provided deep insights into ion transport kinetics, electrochemical mechanisms, and structure–property relationships. These combined advances are accelerating the translation of SIBs from laboratory research to practical applications, including grid-scale energy storage, low-cost mobility solutions, and renewable energy integration.

This Special Issue of Chemical Synthesis, titled “Sodium-Ion Batteries: From Materials Innovation to Practical Applications”, aims to present the latest research and technological breakthroughs in the rapidly evolving field of SIBs. Contributions are welcome in areas including, but not limited to:

● Synthesis, modification, and characterization of electrode and electrolyte materials;

● Mechanistic studies of ion storage and transport;

● Design and engineering of interfaces and full devices;

● Theoretical modeling and computational studies related to SIB performance.

By providing a comprehensive platform for interdisciplinary research spanning chemistry, materials science, and electrochemistry, this Special Issue seeks to highlight how innovative material design and synthetic strategies can drive the next generation of high-performance, sustainable energy storage technologies, supporting the transition to a low-carbon future.

Sodium-ion batteries, electrode Materials, electrolytes, energy Storage, electrochemical mechanisms, materials synthesis, interface engineering, device engineering