Unveiling Mechanisms of SEI Formation and Sodium Loss in Sodium Batteries via Interface Reactor Sampling

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Liu, Zhoulin, Wang, Ziliang, Chen, Zherui, Sha, Jianchun, Pan, Fengzijun, Zhang, Pingyang, Zhang, Yinghe
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2026
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author Liu, Zhoulin
Wang, Ziliang
Chen, Zherui
Sha, Jianchun
Pan, Fengzijun
Zhang, Pingyang
Zhang, Yinghe
author_facet Liu, Zhoulin
Wang, Ziliang
Chen, Zherui
Sha, Jianchun
Pan, Fengzijun
Zhang, Pingyang
Zhang, Yinghe
contents The solid electrolyte interphase SEI critically dictates the cyclability and Coulombic efficiency of sodium-metal batteries, yet its dynamic formation mechanisms and atomic-scale evolution during electrochemical cycling remain elusive due to the spatiotemporal limitations of existing techniques. Here, an "Interface Reactor" sampling strategy is proposed to construct a charge-aware neuroevolution potential (qNEP). This approach overcomes the instability bottlenecks of conventional machine learning potentials, enabling stable, first-principles-accurate molecular dynamics simulations of complex electrode-electrolyte interfaces on the hundred-nanosecond scale. Fundamentally distinct SEI formation mechanisms are revealed during the early stage: carbonate-based electrolytes form heterogeneous organic-inorganic matrices via "mixed co-formation," whereas ether-based electrolytes generate dense, self-limiting inorganic barriers through "surface-energy-controlled" NaF crystallization. Metadynamics simulations further elucidate that these compositional disparities govern sodium-ion storage dynamics: NaF-rich SEIs facilitate efficient metallic deposition, while carbonate-dominated interphases induce irreversible sodium trapping and continuous electrolyte decomposition. These findings establish a comprehensive atomic-scale framework linking solvation structure, interfacial reaction networks, and electrochemical performance, providing mechanistic guidelines for rational SEI engineering in next-generation alkali-metal batteries. Crucially, a general and robust computational framework is established for simulating complex interfacial reactions in electrochemical systems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_07077
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Unveiling Mechanisms of SEI Formation and Sodium Loss in Sodium Batteries via Interface Reactor Sampling
Liu, Zhoulin
Wang, Ziliang
Chen, Zherui
Sha, Jianchun
Pan, Fengzijun
Zhang, Pingyang
Zhang, Yinghe
Materials Science
The solid electrolyte interphase SEI critically dictates the cyclability and Coulombic efficiency of sodium-metal batteries, yet its dynamic formation mechanisms and atomic-scale evolution during electrochemical cycling remain elusive due to the spatiotemporal limitations of existing techniques. Here, an "Interface Reactor" sampling strategy is proposed to construct a charge-aware neuroevolution potential (qNEP). This approach overcomes the instability bottlenecks of conventional machine learning potentials, enabling stable, first-principles-accurate molecular dynamics simulations of complex electrode-electrolyte interfaces on the hundred-nanosecond scale. Fundamentally distinct SEI formation mechanisms are revealed during the early stage: carbonate-based electrolytes form heterogeneous organic-inorganic matrices via "mixed co-formation," whereas ether-based electrolytes generate dense, self-limiting inorganic barriers through "surface-energy-controlled" NaF crystallization. Metadynamics simulations further elucidate that these compositional disparities govern sodium-ion storage dynamics: NaF-rich SEIs facilitate efficient metallic deposition, while carbonate-dominated interphases induce irreversible sodium trapping and continuous electrolyte decomposition. These findings establish a comprehensive atomic-scale framework linking solvation structure, interfacial reaction networks, and electrochemical performance, providing mechanistic guidelines for rational SEI engineering in next-generation alkali-metal batteries. Crucially, a general and robust computational framework is established for simulating complex interfacial reactions in electrochemical systems.
title Unveiling Mechanisms of SEI Formation and Sodium Loss in Sodium Batteries via Interface Reactor Sampling
topic Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.07077