研究背景
当前，主流高能量电池正极材料中不可或缺的钴元素，因其高昂的成本与地缘政治带来的供应链风险，成为锁住产业降本增效的“资源枷锁”。无钴化，是行业公认的破局方向，却也因钴在维持材料结构稳定方面的关键作用，而步履维艰。
洞见机理
该研究从动力学调控角度提供了双相复合材料设计的理论基础，揭示了岩盐相含量与循环稳定性的内在关联，成功设计并合成了一种岩盐相与层状相在原子尺度上互锁的复合正极材料。这就像在材料的微观世界中构建了一套天然的力学稳定系统，极大地提升了材料在长期、高强度使用下的结构完整性，从根本上抵御了电池充放电过程中的结构劣化。
研究结果表明，这种独特的拓扑生长结构能形成强弹性耦合的共格界面，不仅使材料能在4.8V超高电压下稳定工作，更显著提升了其循环寿命（在2C倍率下，1000次循环后容量保持率高达88%），这一数据显著超越了现有行业水平，证明了其卓越的耐久性。
众钠能研发团队始终将基础研究作为技术突破的源头活水。本次在Nature Communications这一科研平台的再次亮相，正是公司长期坚持“唯有扎根材料科学的底层创新，才能为能源转型提供真正可持续的解决方案”的战略理念的集中体现。未来，众钠能源将持续加大前沿探索与产学研转化投入，聚焦轻型动力、储能等核心应用场景，攻克高能量密度、长循环寿命、低成本等行业关键技术难题，以自主创新打破行业技术壁垒，在 “双碳” 时代树立国产钠离子和新型电池产业化的新标杆。
论文链接：
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-63258-9
Recently, Professor Zhao Jianqing, Chief Technology Officer of Zoolnasm, along with his collaborative team, published a research paper titled 'Topotaxially grown composite cathodes for cobalt-free high-energy long-life Li-ion batteries' in the top-tier journal Nature Communications. This study breakthroughly proposes a brand-new composite-phase cathode material, providing a key solution for overcoming the 'cobalt dependency' challenge in high-energy batteries.
Research Background
Currently, cobalt, an indispensable element in mainstream high-energy battery cathode materials, has become a 'resource shackle' that locks the industry in terms of cost reduction and efficiency improvement, due to its high cost and supply chain risks stemming from geopolitical factors. Achieving cobalt-free batteries is recognized within the industry as the breakthrough path, yet it remains extremely challenging because of cobalt's critical role in maintaining material structural stability.
Mechanistic Insights
From the perspective of kinetic regulation, the study provides a theoretical basis for designing dual-phase composite materials, revealing the intrinsic connection between the content of the rock-salt phase and cycling stability. The team successfully designed and synthesized a composite cathode material in which the rock-salt phase and the layered phase are interlocked at the atomic scale. This is akin to building a natural mechanical stabilization system within the material's microscopic world, greatly enhancing the structural integrity of the material during long-term, high-intensity use, fundamentally resisting structural degradation throughout the battery charge-discharge process.
The results indicate that this unique topotaxial growth structure can form coherently coupled elastic interfaces, which not only allow the material to operate stably at ultra-high voltages of 4.8V but also significantly enhance its cycling lifespan (with a capacity retention of up to 88% after 1,000 cycles at 2C rate). This performance greatly surpasses the current industry level and demonstrates its exceptional durability.
The Zoolnasm R&D team has always regarded basic research as the vital source of technological breakthroughs. This latest appearance on the Nature Communications platform reflects the company’s long-standing strategic philosophy: 'Only deep-rooted innovation in materials science can provide truly sustainable solutions for energy transition.' Looking forward, Zhongna Energy will continue to increase investment in frontier exploration and industry-university-research integration, focusing on core application scenarios such as lightweight power and energy storage. The company aims to tackle key industry challenges including high energy density, long cycle life, and low cost, using independent innovation to break industry technological barriers and establish a new benchmark for the industrialization of domestic sodium-ion and next-generation batteries in the 'dual-carbon' era.
