The University of St Andrews is contributing published, testable work to the UK sodium-ion programme. These are peer reviewed research papers, rather than policy white papers or commercial product launches. They show scientific routes around specific material problems; neither establishes a Scottish-made home battery or a 30-year service life.
1. Making an organic electrode waste less charge
One attraction of sodium-ion is the possibility of electrodes made from abundant materials. Organic electrode candidates could, in principle, be derived from biomass. A problem is first-cycle loss: the initial charge used to form and condition an electrode does not all come back when it first discharges. That reduces the energy a finished cell can deliver.
In a June 2026 Journal of Physics: Energy paper, St Andrews researchers and collaborators treated an experimental organic negative electrode with a sodium-containing reagent before cycling it. Their measured initial coulombic efficiency rose from 61% to as high as 150% in the experimental comparison, and rate performance improved. The value above 100% reflects how the presodiation additive contributes stored sodium under that test’s accounting; it does not mean a battery creates energy or has more than 100% round-trip efficiency. The next questions are whether the method works in balanced full cells, at scale and at acceptable cost and safety.
2. Keeping tin electrodes intact
A separate July 2026 paper in Advanced Energy Materials explored tin as a sodium-ion negative electrode. Tin can hold substantial sodium, but its structure swells greatly during charging. The researchers compared different particle sizes and liquid electrolytes. In their tests, a diglyme-based electrolyte supported stable cycling for more than 150 cycles, while a carbonate-based electrolyte suffered rapid capacity fade under the studied conditions.
This is a useful reminder that the whole cell chemistry matters. A promising electrode in an unsuitable electrolyte can fail quickly. These laboratory cycles do not imply a commercial battery warranty, and 150 cycles is far short of what homeowners would expect from years of daily use. Tin electrodes are also distinct from the hard-carbon anodes common in current sodium-ion designs.
What else is happening in Scotland?
St Andrews researcher Professor A. Robert Armstrong leads the Faraday Institution’s NEXGENNA sodium-ion battery project, which brings together expertise beyond one university. The University of Strathclyde has also published work examining plasma-derived hard carbon for sodium-ion batteries. That addresses another important piece of the supply chain: developing a reliable carbon anode. The Strathclyde publication dates from 2024, so it is supporting context rather than a new 2026 breakthrough.
Could this lead to Scottish manufacturing?
It could strengthen the knowledge base, train specialists and provide approaches manufacturers might license or develop further. To make cells in Scotland would still require qualified sodium precursors, industrial electrode production, electrolyte supply, a cell factory, independent testing and customers. Research excellence makes that path more credible, but it does not guarantee a factory will be financed here. The distinction matters if we want Scotland to capture manufacturing jobs as well as credit for discoveries.
For a broader look at the chemistry and whether UK salt could feed a domestic supply chain, read our sodium-ion versus lithium explainer.
Read the research
- St Andrews: organic electrode presodiation paper (2026), including the abstract and linked data.
- St Andrews: tin particle size and electrolyte study (2026).
- St Andrews: Professor Armstrong and NEXGENNA project.
- Strathclyde: plasma-derived hard carbon study (2024).
What does it mean for a home battery?
Research is moving, but choose an installed system on proven specifications, compatible tariffs and a warranty you can use today.
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