As the demand continues to grow for batteries capable of ultra-fast charging and high energy density in various sectors -- from electric vehicles to large-scale energy storage systems (ESS) -- a joint research team from POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) and the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) has developed a promising next-generation anode material that may address these critical needs.
随着电动汽车到大规模储能系统（ESS）等各领域对具备超快充电和高能量密度电池的需求持续增长，由POSTECH（浦项科技大学）与韩国能源研究所（KIER）组成的联合研究团队开发出一种前景广阔的下一代Node材料，有望满足这些关键需求。

While graphite, the most common anode material in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), offers robust structural stability, it is limited by its low theoretical capacity and sluggish charge/discharge rates. To overcome these limitations, the researchers have proposed a novel electrode design that combines hard carbon with tin (Sn).
虽然石墨作为锂离子电池（LIBs）中最常见的Node材料具有强大的结构稳定性，但其低理论Ability和缓慢的充放电速率限制了其应用。为了克服这些限制，研究人员提出了一种将硬碳与锡（Sn）相结合的新型电极设计。

Hard carbon is a disordered carbon material with an abundance of micropores and pathways, facilitating fast diffusion of lithium and sodium ions. This structure enables both high energy storage and mechanical robustness, making it ideal for high-rate and long-life applications.
硬碳是一种具有丰富微孔和通道的无序碳材料，可促进锂和钠离子的快速扩散。这种结构兼具高能量储存和机械鲁棒性，使其成为高倍率和长寿命应用的理想选择。

However, incorporating tin presented another challenge. The smaller the tin particles, the more effectively the problematic volume expansion during cycling is reduced, enhancing the overall stability. Unfortunately, tin's low melting point (∼230°C) makes it difficult to synthesize such fine particles. The research team addressed this issue using a sol-gel process followed by thermal reduction, successfully embedding uniformly distributed sub-10 nm tin nanoparticles within the hard carbon matrix.
然而，融入锡又带来了另一个挑战。锡颗粒越小，越能有效减少循环过程中有问题的体积扩展包，从而提升整体稳定性。遗憾的是，锡的低熔点（约230°C）使得合成如此细小的颗粒变得困难。研究团队通过溶胶-凝胶法结合热还原工艺解决了这一问题，成功将均匀分布的小于10纳米的锡纳米颗粒嵌入硬碳区块中。

The resulting composite structure exhibits functional synergy beyond simple physical mixing. The tin nanoparticles not only act as active materials but also serve as catalysts that promote the crystallization of the surrounding hard carbon. During electrochemical cycling, the reversible formation of Sn-O bonds contributes to enhancing battery capacity via conversion reactions.
所形成的复合结构展现出超越简单物理混合的功能协同效应。锡纳米颗粒不仅作为活性材料，还充当促进周围硬碳结晶的催化剂。在电化学循环过程中，Sn-O键的可逆形成通过转化反应有助于提升电池容量。

The engineered electrode has demonstrated excellent performance in lithium-ion cells, maintaining stable operation over 1,500 cycles under 20-minute fast-charging conditions, while achieving a 1.5-fold higher volumetric energy density compared to conventional graphite anodes. This achievement represents a successful integration of high power, high energy, and long cycle life in one electrode.
该工程化电极在锂离子电池中表现出优异的性能，在20分钟快充条件下保持1,500次循环的稳定运行，同时实现了比传统石墨负极高1.5倍的体积能量密度。这一成就代表了高功率、高能量和长循环寿命在单一电极中的成功集成。

Remarkably, the electrode also shows outstanding performance in sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). Sodium ions generally exhibit poor reactivity with conventional anode materials like graphite or silicon. However, the hard carbon-tin nano-composite structure maintains excellent stability and fast kinetics in sodium environments, underscoring its versatility across multiple battery platforms.
值得注意的是，该电极在钠离子电池（SIBs）中也表现出卓越性能。钠离子通常与石墨或硅等传统负极材料反应性较差。然而，硬碳-锡纳米复合结构在钠环境中仍保持优异的稳定性和快速动力学特性，突显了其在多性向电池平台中的能力。

Professor Soojin Park of POSTECH stated, "This research represents a new milestone in the development of next-generation high-performance batteries and holds promise for applications in electric vehicles, hybrid systems, and grid-scale ESS." Dr. Gyujin Song of KIER added, "The realization of an anode with simultaneously high power, stability, and energy density, along with its compatibility with sodium-ion systems, marks a turning point in the rechargeable battery market."
POSTECH的Soojin Park教授表示："这项研究代表了下一代高性能电池发展的新里程碑，有望应用于电动汽车、混合动力系统和电网级ESS。" KIER的Gyujin Song博士补充道："同时具备高功率、稳定性和能量密度的阳极实现，及其与钠离子系统的兼容性，标志着可充电电池市场的转折点。"

This work was conducted by Professor Soojin Park, Dr. Sungho Choi, and Dr. Dong-Yeob Han at POSTECH, in collaboration with Dr. Gyujin Song at KIER. The results were recently published in the journal ACS Nano and were supported by funding from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Science and ICT of Korea.
这项工作由浦项科技大学的Soojin Park教授、Sungho Choi博士和Dong-Yeob Han博士与韩国能源研究院的Gyujin Song博士合作完成。研究成果近期发表于期刊《ACS Nano》，并获得了韩国交易·产业·能源部和科学技术信息通信部的资金支持。