Foreign media report (SodiumBatteryHub): A research team from Tokyo University of Science announced findings on August 10, 2026, showing that introducing scandium (Sc) into the O3-type sodium nickel manganese oxide (O3-NaNi1/2Mn1/2O2) sodium-ion cathode can improve material stability through two separate routes: crystal-lattice substitution and surface modification. Lattice doping suppresses the phase transition to the O'3 phase during charge/discharge and raises the discharge plateau voltage by about 0.1 V; surface modification protects the electrode-electrolyte interface and reduces side reactions to lower long-term cycling degradation. In coin-type full-cell tests, both strategies supported more than 300 cycles: the scandium-doped sample retained 71.4% of capacity after 300 cycles, while the scandium surface-modified sample retained 91.2%.
From a research background perspective, O3-NaNi1/2Mn1/2O2 already offers high reversible capacity and is one of the representative layered-oxide cathode systems for sodium-ion batteries, but structural phase transitions and interfacial side reactions during long-term cycling are key issues limiting life. The study separately verified the effects of doping and coating (surface modification), combining electrochemical measurements, structural analysis, and first-principles calculations to clarify the distinct contributions of the two mechanisms. The team includes Kodai Moriya, doctoral student Sho Toriumi, Associate Professor Shinichi Kumakura, and Professor Shinichi Komaba of Tokyo University of Science, as well as Yoshitaka Tateyama and Huu Duc Luong of Institute of Science Tokyo.
However, it should be clearly noted that this is an academic laboratory achievement; the 300-cycle data are based on coin-type full-cell tests, and there remains a considerable gap to real-world validation of commercial products, so cycle data cannot be directly equated with actual commercial product life. The transfer of academic results to engineering and commercialization usually takes considerable time; whether this technical route is adopted by battery or material companies, and whether it can be validated in larger cell formats and harsher operating conditions, remain to be seen.