Brazilian researchers are using quantum physics simulations to solve failures in sodium batteries, aiming for greater durability and safety in energy storage for renewable sources.
The transition to sustainable energy matrices depends directly on the evolution of storage technologies.
Recently, a study conducted by CINE (Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Innovation) in partnership with USP (University of São Paulo) took a fundamental step toward making sodium batteries a viable and robust alternative by thoroughly investigating how to prevent the formation of dendrites—needle-like metallic structures that compromise the lifespan and safety of these devices.
The breakthrough, reported by FAPESP, utilized advanced quantum physics computational models to analyze the interaction of 22 chemical species with sodium surfaces.
By focusing on the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer, scientists sought to understand how to create a more stable and uniform protection, overcoming the main technical challenge that currently limits the efficiency of this technology compared to lithium models.
The challenge of dendrites in battery stability
Battery performance is dictated by the quality of the SEI layer that forms on the anode during use.
When this film is irregular or fragile, it allows for the emergence of dangerous metallic growths, known as dendrites.
These filaments not only reduce the equipment’s autonomy but can also cause short circuits and critical failures, inhibiting the large-scale commercial adoption of sodium batteries.
The team led by Professor Juarez Lopes Ferreira da Silva, from IQSC-USP, introduced a crucial variable into their models: the presence of surface defects.
Unlike theoretical studies that assume perfectly smooth surfaces, the research simulated real-world imperfections where chemical reactivity is higher.
Tapasendra Adhikary, a postdoctoral researcher and lead author of the study, stated:
Irregularities act as points of higher chemical activity. A molecule may attach more intensely to a protrusion than to a flat region. This behavior changes the way the initial battery protection forms.
Sodium fluoride as the key to protection
Computational analysis revealed a promising strategy to optimize electrolyte composition.
The researchers suggest that the use of salts that release fluoride may be decisive in closing reactive gaps on the anode.
By reacting with these vulnerable points, an inorganic sodium fluoride layer is formed, acting as a physical and chemical barrier against dendrite propagation.
In addition to fluoride, the study recommends combining it with cyclic carbonate solvents to impart more resistance to the protective film.
Although the work is still at the atomic simulation stage, it provides a clear roadmap for laboratories seeking to formulate new electrolytes.
The next phase will require practical testing on prototypes to validate whether the stability observed virtually translates into real-world durability.
The future of sodium batteries in the energy sector
Sodium offers an undeniable competitive advantage: its global abundance is far greater than that of lithium.
For the renewable energy sector, where stationary storage is essential to manage the intermittency of solar and wind farms, battery weight is less restrictive than it is in the automotive industry.
With the support of CINE, which brings together efforts from FAPESP, Shell, and major universities such as USP, Unicamp, and UFSCar, Brazil is positioning itself at the frontier of materials science.
While commercial viability requires further experimental testing, the discovery of new paths for metallic anode stabilization brings the power grid closer to a future with more economical, safe, and sustainable storage.
