The thermodynamic properties of magnesium make it a natural choice for use as an anode material in rechargeable batteries, because it may provide a considerably higher energy density than the commonly used lead-acid and nickel-cadmium systems. Moreover, in contrast to lead and cadmium, magnesium is inexpensive, environmentally friendly and safe to handle. But the development of Mg batteries has been hindered by two problems. First, owing to the chemical activity of Mg, only solutions that neither donate nor accept protons are suitable as electrolytes; but most of these solutions allow the growth of passivating surface films, which inhibit any electrochemical reaction. Second, the choice of cathode materials has been limited by the difficulty of intercalating Mg ions in many hosts. Following previous studies of the electrochemistry of Mg electrodes in various non-aqueous solutions, and of a variety of intercalation electrodes, we have now developed rechargeable Mg battery systems that show promise for applications. The systems comprise electrolyte solutions based on Mg organohaloaluminate salts, and Mg(x)Mo3S4 cathodes, into which Mg ions can be intercalated reversibly, and with relatively fast kinetics. We expect that further improvements in the energy density will make these batteries a viable alternative to existing systems.

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Metallic magnesium can be reversibly deposited from ethereal solutions of magnesium−aluminum complex salts of the general structure Mg(AlCl4 - n R n )2, where R = alkyl. In contrast to the case of lithium surfaces, already thoroughly investigated, the surface state of magnesium electrodes in contact with organic solutions is yet unclear. In this paper we report on a systematic surface analysis of magnesium electrodes in contact with various organic solutions, using XPS. We find in both clean tetrahydrofurane (THF) and THF solutions of dibutylmagnesium or butylmagnesium chloride that the metal surface consists of magnesium oxide and hydroxide (probably developed during manipulation and sample transfer); however, it does not develop thick passivation layers. In THF solutions containing Mg(AlEtBuCl2)2, surface residuals of carbon, aluminum, and chlorine are detected yet are restricted to the outermost part of the surface, as physically adsorbed species. From their concentration one deduces that both the complex salt and the ether are not reduced at the magnesium surface but precipitate as an insoluble film. Metallic magnesium deposited from THF/Mg(AlEtBuCl2)2 solution on gold electrodes shows a very similar surface chemistry, providing an additional proof that, even in the most frail conditions available during electrochemical deposition, pure magnesium is deposited. The surface chemistry of magnesium in contact with propylene carbonate (PC) exhibits as well layered surface chemistry, most of it composed of magnesium oxide and hydroxide, but no evidence is found for reduction products of PC. It is concluded that the magnesium metal behaves like a surface film-free electrode in organo-haloaluminate/THF solutions. Our conclusions support several other studies on the properties of magnesium in such solutions.