Executive Summary : | The main focus of this proposal is to develop the Core Indigenous technology for Sodium metal battery towards electric vehicles (EV) applications. The "National Mission on Transformative Mobility" by "Niti Aayog" committee strongly recommends the need for Electric vehicles powered by cheaper and high energy density sodium ion based energy storage system, highly compatible to state of the art Lithium ion battery technology. The performance of Sodium metal batteries is crucially determined by anode materials which nearly occupies 30% of the total weight. Thus, a high capacity anode material with flat, lowest electrochemical potential and long cycle is desperately needed. Thus, sodium metal anodes can be eminent choice, and can help to realize high energy sodium-based energy storage system as they can deliver the highest capacity of 1166 mAh g-1 at the lowest redox potential (-2.71 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode). Thus, the sodium metal anode and the Sodium metal anode are considered as holy grail of the energy storage system. Moreover, the abundant availability (1200 times than that of Li in Earth crust) of Na-ion resources could be a game changing against market dominant Li-ion battery system. However, they exhibit safety and cycle life issues due dendrite formation and infinite volume expansion from host-less 2D nature during the electrochemical cycling process. Thus, several strategies such as 3D host for Na deposition/stripping, and Na - M (M = Sn, Zn) alloys will be adapted to overcome the limitations in the metal anodes. Such approaches will stabilize the metal anode - electrolyte interface and reduce dendrite formation, over potential and increase the columbic efficiency and cycle life. In addition, a high energy density, long life, and safe Sodium metal battery system will be developed by eliminating the complex synthesis and battery manufacturing process. Encouraged by "Make in India" scheme, the commercialization of the sodium metal battery technology will be seriously considered by demonstrating the prototype sodium full-cell by coupling with as-developed dendrite free Na metal anode and high capacity cathodes. |