Practical Evaluation of Presodiation Techniques for High Energy Sodium-Based Batteries

Low-cost rechargeable sodium-based batteries are regarded as ideal alternatives to replace or complement current lithium-ion batteries in large-scale energy storage applications. Unfortunately, the commercial implementation of sodium-based batteries is restricted by their unsatisfied energy density, severe initial capacity decay, and discontented cycle life. Presodiation techniques including anode pretreatment and cathode additives are widely suggested to alleviate the above problems by providing an extra sodium resource to compensate for the initial capacity loss. However, none of them have been applied at the industrial level due to poor kinetics and severe gas evolution. Hence, in this timely review, we reclassify the presodiation techniques based on their operating locations and charge compensation mechanisms, which could provide intuitive perspectives for practical assessment. Key evaluation factors including kinetic performance, gas evolution behavior, environmental stability, and cost are proposed and systematically analyzed. The corresponding optimization strategies and potential applications are provided, followed by the scientific and technical challenges and suggestions for future industrialization. We believe this review will promote the industrial development of presodiation techniques in the future.