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Grain-Optimized Copper Current Collectors for Highly Stable Anode-Free Sodium Batteries
Yujie Chen1, Huan Li1, Shuibin Tu1
1School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|January 7, 2026
Summary
Engineered copper substrates with high grain-boundary density improve anode-free sodium batteries by promoting stable sodium plating and a robust solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). This enhances cycling stability and capacity retention for practical applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Anode-free sodium batteries (AFSBs) offer high energy density but face challenges with unstable sodium plating/stripping and solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) evolution.
- Improving cycling stability and capacity retention are critical for the practical application of AFSBs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of grain-boundary density in copper (Cu) substrates on the performance of AFSBs.
- To elucidate the role of grain boundaries in enhancing sodium nucleation and SEI formation.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of Cu substrates with varying grain-boundary densities.
- Electrochemical testing of anode-free sodium cells using modified Cu substrates and Na3V2(PO4)3 cathodes.
- Analysis of sodium deposition morphology and SEI composition.
Main Results:
- Higher grain-boundary density Cu substrates exhibit stronger sodium affinity and lower nucleation energy barriers, leading to dense, crystalline sodium deposits.
- Grain boundaries promote anion adsorption, forming an anion-rich solvation structure and a stable, NaF-rich SEI film.
- Anode-free cells with ultrahigh-grain-boundary density Cu (UGB-Cu) achieved 800 cycles at 5C with 99.97% average coulombic efficiency.
Conclusions:
- Grain boundaries in Cu substrates play a dual role in improving substrate-sodium affinity and interfacial SEI chemistry.
- Grain-boundary engineering of Cu foils is a practical and scalable strategy for developing high-performance AFSBs.
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