Sodium-ion batteries have emerged as low-cost and resource-abundant alternatives to lithium-ion systems; however, their practical deployment is fundamentally constrained by interfacial instability, dendrite growth, and mechanical degradation. Although extensive efforts have been devoted to electrolyte development, current research remains fragmented. A unified understanding of how key properties, including ionic conductivity, electrochemical stability, mechanical robustness, and interfacial compatibility, collectively govern performance and failure is still lacking, thereby limiting rational electrolyte design and slowing materials discovery. Here, we present a performance-driven, mechanism-oriented framework that places battery performance at the core of electrolyte design, integrating safety, stability, and sustainability considerations into a holistic design paradigm for solid and hybrid electrolytes. This framework emphasizes the coupled chemo-mechanical mechanisms governing crack formation, dendrite propagation, and interfacial destabilization, revealing their synergistic contributions to long-term degradation. Building on this unified perspective, recent advances in material design, interfacial engineering, and hybrid architectures are critically analyzed in the context of resolving intrinsic trade-offs. Furthermore, artificial intelligence and machine learning are positioned not merely as auxiliary tools but as key enablers that link property descriptors with accelerated electrolyte discovery within this framework. By integrating mechanistic insights with data-driven strategies and emerging standardization protocols such as extremely lean electrolyte testing, this review establishes a multidimensional roadmap toward the development of safe, durable, and commercially viable sodium-ion batteries.
Gao, L.T., Mashhadimoslem, H., He, Y. et al. Accelerating Electrolyte Discovery for Sodium-Ion Battery Through Property-Based Frameworks and Artificial Intelligence. Electrochem. Energy Rev. 9, 23 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41918-026-00296-x
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