Sodium batteries are moving closer to commercial use, and Chinese scientist Lu Yaxiang has played a central role in that progress. Lu is a professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Physics. She has spent about a decade improving Sodium-ion Battery materials and solid-state energy storage. As a result, her work has drawn national attention in 2026.
In April 2026, Lu received the China Youth May Fourth Medal. This award is China’s top honor for outstanding achievers under 35. The recognition highlighted her contributions to battery science and her focus on practical energy solutions. Moreover, her work supports a larger goal: building lower-cost, scalable battery technologies from abundant materials.
Sodium batteries and Lu Yaxiang’s research focus
Lu sees sodium as a smart choice for future energy storage. Sodium is abundant, low cost, and easy to source. Therefore, it offers strong potential for large-scale battery production. Instead of relying only on scarce raw materials, manufacturers can use sodium-based systems to support grid storage, electric mobility, and industrial applications.
Lu told Science and Technology Daily in June that her team focuses on real engineering needs. They prioritize stability, cost-effectiveness, and manufacturability. In other words, they do not study battery materials in isolation. They design them for real factories and real products.
Sodium batteries reached a key milestone in 2024
One of Lu’s most important achievements came in 2024. At that time, her team explained why sodium-layered oxide cathodes degrade in air. Scientists had studied this issue for about four decades. However, the exact mechanism had remained unclear.
Layered oxide cathodes matter because they are strong candidates for high-energy-density sodium batteries. They also offer simple processing and high specific capacity. That means they can store a large amount of electric charge for their weight. For years, researchers knew these materials reacted in air. Yet they did not fully understand which parts of air triggered the problem.
Lu’s team isolated different air components and tested them carefully. They found that water vapor does not damage the material by itself. Instead, water acts as a bridge that helps other gases interact with the cathode surface. As a result, the material degrades faster under normal air exposure.
After identifying that reaction path, the team created clear design rules for air-stable materials. They published the findings in the journal Science in 2024. This result gave battery developers a more precise roadmap for improving sodium battery cathodes. In turn, it strengthened the case for commercial sodium-ion production.
Why this sodium batteries discovery matters
This discovery matters because battery manufacturing depends on stable materials. If a cathode can tolerate air better, engineers can handle it more easily during production. Consequently, companies can improve consistency and scale up output with greater confidence. That makes Lu’s research highly relevant to industry.
Her work also aligns with broader activity in China’s battery sector. Companies such as CATL have already shown interest in sodium-ion batteries. Therefore, advances in materials science can move quickly from the lab to commercial development.
Sodium batteries also benefit from Lu’s solid-state work
Lu’s research does not stop with cathodes. She and her team have also advanced solid-state battery materials. In a 2023 paper in Nature Energy, they reported a new electrolyte with both high ionic conductivity and viscoelasticity. This combination is important because it allows the material to behave partly like a liquid and partly like a solid.
That dual behavior improves contact between solid electrodes and electrolytes. Good contact helps ions move more efficiently through the battery. As a result, the design supports better performance and long-term stability. In addition, solid-state electrolytes can support high-voltage cathodes and long cycle life.
Officials praised the work as a case of making the “impossible” real. Still, the real value lies in the engineering result. Lu’s team created a material that combines flexibility with strong electrochemical performance. Therefore, the research adds another layer to her influence in advanced battery science.
Sodium batteries and Lu Yaxiang’s career path
Lu earned her PhD from the University of Birmingham in 2015. After that, she joined the University of Surrey as a postdoctoral researcher. In 2017, she returned to China through an International Young Scientist Fellowship and joined the CAS Institute of Physics.
She later served as an associate professor. Then, in 2024, the institute promoted her to professor. Her rise reflects both strong academic output and a clear focus on technologies with national importance. Today, she stands out as one of China’s leading young scientists in energy storage.
What sodium batteries could mean in 2026 and beyond
Sodium batteries now hold growing importance in the global energy transition. They offer a path toward more accessible battery supply chains. They also fit well with large-scale storage needs. For that reason, researchers and manufacturers continue to invest in sodium-ion development.
Lu Yaxiang’s work has helped push that progress forward. She combined careful basic science with practical engineering goals. She solved a long-standing materials question in 2024. She also developed advanced solid-state electrolyte materials in 2023. By 2026, those achievements have made her a key figure in China’s battery research landscape.
As energy systems expand, sodium batteries will remain an important technology to watch. Lu’s research shows how targeted materials innovation can turn abundant resources into high-value energy solutions. That is why her work continues to attract attention from scientists, industry leaders, and policymakers alike.
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