Researchers at the University of Surrey have made a breakthrough that could reshape both energy storage and water treatment. By retaining water in sodium vanadium oxide—a material typically dried during battery production—they created a nanostructured sodium vanadate hydrate (NVOH) that not only boosts battery performance but also enables electrochemical desalination.
Unlike lithium-ion batteries, which rely on expensive and environmentally taxing materials, sodium is abundant and low-cost. The team’s “wet” version of the sodium-ion battery stored nearly twice the charge, charged faster, and remained stable over 400 cycles. This unexpected result challenges long-held assumptions about water’s role in battery chemistry.
Beyond energy storage, the researchers demonstrated that NVOH can operate in salt water, opening the door to dual-purpose batteries that can both store energy and remove salt from seawater. This innovation could lead to compact, low-cost desalination systems powered by renewable energy—especially valuable in off-grid or water-scarce regions.
The discovery not only enhances the commercial viability of sodium-ion batteries for grid and EV applications but also introduces a new frontier in sustainable desalination technology.
(Source: Best Mag)