Biophysical perspectives on sodium metal anodes: controlling dendritic growth through Bio-inspired SEI design and Self-assembly

초록

Sodium metal batteries (SMBs) have attracted significant attention for large-scale energy storage due to the natural abundance and low cost of sodium. However, the practical application of SMBs is severely hindered by uncontrolled sodium dendrite growth, which leads to low Coulombic efficiency (CE), short cycle life, and serious safety concerns. In this review, we comprehensively summarize recent advances in dendrite suppression strategies for SMBs. We discuss the fundamental mechanisms of dendrite formation and the critical role of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Special focus is given to SEI/interfacial engineering and bio-inspired design concepts. Various strategies, including electrolyte additives, artificial SEI layers, three-dimensional hosts, and surface coatings, are systematically analyzed. To provide quantitative guidance, Table 3 compares the electrochemical performance of different approaches. Among them, the bio-inspired coating strategy currently shows the best performance, achieving a CE of 99.3% and a cycle life of 800 cycles at 1.0 mA cm- 2. Finally, we highlight that the development of bio-inspired adaptive interfaces with self-healing capability is crucial for realizing dendrite-free and long-life SMBs.

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