A review of ways to improve the performance of hard carbon anodes in low-temperature sodium-ion batteries

• Sodium-ion batteries exhibit superior low-temperature performance compared to lithium-ion batteries due to lower desolvation energy and diffusion barriers. • Hard carbon anodes suffer from sodium dendrite formation, low solid-phase diffusion rates, and excessive SEI formation at low temperatures. • Structural improvements, morphological design, interface optimization, and cut-off voltage adjustment are effective strategies to enhance low-temperature performance. • The sodium storage mechanism in hard carbon involves adsorption, intercalation, and filling processes, which are critical for optimizing anode design.