Sodium Batteries? Chinese Scientist’s Decade-Long ‘Impossible’ Quest Pays Off

Professor Lu Yaxiang, a scientist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Physics, has spent ten years working on a seemingly impossible goal: making sodium-ion batteries commercially viable. In April, her persistence earned her the China Youth May Fourth Medal, the nation’s top honor for outstanding achievers under 35. For years, lithium-ion batteries have dominated the market. However, their raw materials are scarce and environmentally demanding to extract. Sodium-ion batteries are seen as a cheaper and more sustainable alternative. Lu’s breakthrough could help reshape the global energy storage industry.