An electrolyte reported in Nature Communications this week could help to pave the way towards a new type of solid-state rechargeable battery. Such all-solid-state sodium batteries could be a cheap and safe alternative to existing battery technologies.

Akitoshi Hayashi and colleagues developed a sulfide glass-ceramic electrolyte with ahigh sodium ion conductivity. Incorporation of the electrolyte into a sodium-sulphur battery allowed room temperature operation - an important step in developing all-solid-state sodium-sulphur batteries which has previously been difficult to achieve. Further work may lead to the realisation of practical all-solid-state rechargeable sodium batteries.