The hidden hand

The 300-year-old pigment powering tomorrow's batteries

CATL's sodium-ion batteries rely on Prussian White, a modern analog of the synthetic blue pigment that colored Renaissance masterworks.

The number

300years of prior use

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Supply input · Sodium-Ion Battery Cells (Na-ion, No Lithium/Cobalt/Nickel)

Sodium-ion (Na-ion / SIB) battery cells that use sodium instead of lithium as the charge carrier, eliminating the need for lithium, cobalt, or nickel in the battery chemistry. Cathode: Prussian white (iron-manganese hexacyanoferrate) or layered transition metal oxide. Anode: hard carbon (derived from biomass or coal-based precursors). Electrolyte salt: sodium-based compounds (sodium hexafluorophosphate or sodium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide). Key advantages over LFP lithium-ion: (1) no geographic supply concentration for sodium (salt is globally abundant); (2) lower material cost potential; (3) better cold-temperature performance. Disadvantages: lower energy density (~120 Wh/kg vs. LFP 160 Wh/kg); not yet suitable for long-range passenger EVs. Commercial applications: e-bikes, small EVs, grid storage, telecom backup. First commercial producer: CATL (China, 2023). Other developers: HiNa Battery (China), Faradion (Stellantis, UK), KORE Power (US).

Surprise score

95 / 100

The same iron hexacyanoferrate chemistry that gave Prussian Blue its vivid hue in Hokusai paintings now serves as the cathode material in cutting-edge sodium-ion cells. A 1704 accident by a Berlin paint maker—contaminated potash mixed with iron sulfate—accidentally created the pigment that would become CATL's foundation for next-generation energy storage.

Source: Prussian Blue -- Wikipedia · Wikipedia · Jan 1, 2024

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