Advancements in anode materials for sodium-ion batteries: Current trends and future prospects

Abstract

The need for effective energy storage solutions grows critical as the global energy demand surges alongside renewable energy integration. Lithium-ion batteries have been the dominant technology in battery storage systems due to their high round-trip efficiency and high energy density. However, concerns related to the unequal distribution and keeping environmental impact in mind, researchers are prompted to investigate alternative technologies. Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have gained attention as a viable option because of their low cost, safety, and sequences of extraction to fabrication from raw materials are often less resource-intensive and more sustainable. This review critically evaluates the latest developments in SIBs, prioritizing innovations in the anode material, highlighting different categories of anode materials such as intercalation, conversion, alloying, adsorption-intercalation-conversion hybrid materials, and analyzing their sodium-ion storage mechanisms. Particular attention is given to the challenges arising from the larger ionic radius of sodium ions, such as slow diffusion kinetics and severe volume expansion, along with strategies to overcome these limitations through heteroatom doping, nanostructures, porous architectures, and composite design. This review also highlights the industrial perspective of SIB technology by summarizing leading companies and their commercially adopted anode materials, while comparing the present development stages from lab-scale research to industrial-scale commercialization. © 2026 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.