Room-temperature Sodium-Sulfur Batteries

This book provides an effective review and critical analysis of the recently demonstrated room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries. Divided into three sections, it highlights the status of the technologies and strategies developed for the sodium metal anode, insight into the development of sulfur cathode, and electrolyte engineering. It reviews past, present, and future perspectives for each cell component including characterization tools unveiling the fundamental understanding of the room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries. FEATURES: - Highlights scientific challenges in developing room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries - Covers pertinent anode, cathode, and electrolyte engineering - Provides scientific and technical interpretation for each of the cell components - Discusses how Na-S batteries relate to the more extensively researched Li-S batteries - Explores importance of the SEI and CEI in developing stable sodium-sulfur batteries This book is aimed at graduate students and researchers in energy science, materials science, and electrochemistry.

Dr. Vipin Kumar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering (DESE) at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), India. He is the coordinator of a virtual interdisciplinary school, i.e., the School of Interdisciplinary Research (SIRe) at IIT Delhi. He received his doctoral and master's degrees from Nanyang Technological University Singapore (NTU Singapore) and IIT Delhi in 2016 and 2011. He worked with the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, to develop high-energy metal-sulfur batteries. His research focuses on electrochemical energy storage devices, such as room-temperature metal-sulfur batteries (e.g., Na-S, Li-S, Al-S, and Mg-S). Most of his studies were devoted to energy-related projects. He has received several prestigious awards, including the "Inspire Faculty Award" offered by the Department of Science and Technology, India, in 2017. Since May 2020, he has been working as an Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), India, and running his battery research group (Advanced Batteries Research Laboratory) in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, IIT Delhi. His group currently focuses on exploring the fundamental and applied aspects of metal-sulfur batteries.

Chapter 1. Introduction: Sodium Sulfur battery technology. 1.1 Introduction: Sodium Sulfur battery technology. 1.2 Brief history of Sodium Sulfur battery. 1.3 Sodium-metal batteries and the operation of high-temperature Sodium-Sulfur Batteries. 1.4 The transition from high-temperature to room-temperature sodium-sulfur Batteries. 1.5 Development of the RT Na-S batteries. 1.6 Conclusion and Prospects. References. Chapter 2. Sodium metal anode: Past, Present, and Future of sodium metal anode. 2.1 Introduction to the sodium metal anode. 2.2 Challenges in developing a stable sodium metal anode. 2.3 Strategies to overcome the challenges. 2.4 Future prospects. References. Chapter 3. Sulfur Cathode: Progress in the development of sulfur cathode. 3.1 Introduction to Sulfur Cathode. 3.2 Challenges in developing the stable sulfur cathodes. 3.3 Progress in developing sulfur cathodes. 3.4 Importance of electrolyte/sulfur (E/S) ratio in developing a stable sulfur cathode. 3.5 Strategies to develop high-loading sulfur cathodes. 3.6 Future prospects. References. Chapter 4. Electrolytes for room-temperature sodium-sulfur batteries: A holistic approach to understand solvation. 4.1 Basic properties of the electrolytes for alkali metal batteries. 4.2 The Solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) and the Importance of sodium-ion solvation. 4.3 Liquid electrolyte to quasi-solid-state electrolyte to solid electrolyte for sodium-sulfur batteries. 4.4 Nature of electrolyte and its role in developing a stable SEI and CEI. 4.5 Future prospects. References. Chapter 5. Analytical Techniques to Probe Room-Temperature Sodium-Sulfur Batteries. 5.1 Introduction. 5.2 Overview of the routine techniques to probe sodium metal anode. 5.3 Overview of the routine techniques to probe sulfur cathode. 5.4 In-situ/Operando techniques for sodium-sulfur batteries. 5.5 Future prospects. References. Chapter 6. Sodium sulfur batteries: similarities and differences with Lithium-sulfur battery. 6.1. Na-S and Li-S chemistries are fundamentally different- a mechanistic overview. 6.2 Polysulfide Species Dissolution. 6.3 Electrolyte for Li-S and RT Na-S batteries. 6.4 Future Prospect. References. Chapter 7. Other Sodium Metal Based Rechargeable Battery Technologies: A Brief Introduction to Sodium Dual Ion Batteries. 7.1 Bird-eye view of the sodium metal-based batteries. 7.2 Overview of sodium air battery. 7.3 Overview of sodium dual-ion batteries. 7.4 Future Prospects. References. Chapter 8. Conclusion and Prospects.