A Review of Energy Storage Mechanisms in Aqueous Aluminium Technology

Abstract

This systematic review covers the developments in aqueous aluminium energy storage technology from 2012, including primary and secondary battery applications and supercapacitors. Aluminium is an abundant material with a high theoretical volumetric energy density of –8.04 Ah cm−3. Combined with aqueous electrolytes, which have twice the ionic storage potential as non-aqueous versions, this technology has the potential to serve many energy storage needs. The charge transfer mechanisms are discussed in detail with respect to aqueous aluminium-ion secondary batteries, where most research has focused in recent years. TiO2 nanopowders have shown to be promising negative electrodes, with the potential for pseudocapacitive energy storage in aluminuim-ion cells. This review summarises the advances in Al-ion systems using aqueous electrolytes, focusing on electrochemical performance.

An environmental perspective on developing dual energy storage for electric vehicles—a case study exploring Al-ion vs. supercapacitors alongside Li-ion

“…For the city bus case study, Al-ion could provide the HP component of a DESS in the future, as it provides similar environmental benefits to the SC but has the advantage of being cheaper, safer, and easier to produce (Melzack et al, 2021;Melzack and Wills, 2022). However, the electric vehicle assessed, with higher reliance on the HP component, would benefit environmentally from an SC/Li-ion DESS.…”

“…Aluminum is an attractive material for battery applications in EVs due to its high charge storage capacity of 2980 mA h g−1/8046 mA h cm −3 and relative abundance (Elia et al, 2021;Verma and Kumar, 2021). Aluminum ions are readily solvated in both aqueous and non-aqueous (organic or ionic liquid) solvents with a number of materials, including TiO 2 , MoO 3 , C, and Al being suggested as positive electrodes, while negative electrode materials include Fe-, Mn-, Cu-, and V-complexes (Melzack and Wills, 2022;Pan et al, 2022) Aqueous Al-ion batteries are one of a number of metal-ion systems being investigated utilizing water as the electrolyte (Wu et al, 2022). This aqueous Al-ion technology has already been identified as potentially having fewer environmental impacts per kW than some supercapacitors and, as such, is a good case study to test the methodology of comparing environmental impacts within DESS design (Melzack et al, 2021).…”

Activation and reaction mechanism of nano‐aluminized explosives under shock wave

“…Aluminum (Al) particles are extensively employed in explosives and solid propellants owing to their remarkable high energy density (83.4 kJ/cm 3 ) [1][2][3]. Incorporating aluminum particles into high explosives (HE) has been demonstrated to increase the total energy and work capacity, thus representing a pivotal avenue of investigation for enhancing the energy performance of explosives [4][5][6][7][8].…”

Unlocking the Potential of 2D MoS2 Cathodes for High‐Performance Aqueous Al‐Ion Batteries: Deciphering the Intercalation Mechanisms

“…Therefore, this investigation highlights the importance of understanding the ability of the layered structure to store this anion and its impact on battery performance. [23] In this study, we explore the interaction between AAIBs, with their multi-ion intercalation chemistry, and the 2D MoS 2 cathode. We found that the unique interlayer structure of MoS 2 facil-itates the intercalation of AlCl 4 − anions, leading to a high-voltage intercalation of 1.8 V and a capacity of 750 mAh g −1 .…”

“…Therefore, this investigation highlights the importance of understanding the ability of the layered structure to store this anion and its impact on battery performance. [ 23 ]…”