A Trip to Oz and a Peak Behind the Curtain of Magnesium Batteries

Abstract

The introduction of the Li-ion battery has revolutionized the electronics industry due to its high energy density. Magnesium batteries may have the potential to exceed the energy densities of Li-ion batteries. Herein, the major advancements in magnesium electrochemistry and the challenges that must be overcome to realize a practical magnesium battery are discussed. So too are the controversial realities of current magnesium battery research and their implications.

Magnesium batteries: Current picture and missing pieces of the puzzle

“…Taking all together, these elementsand their corresponding alloyscould be considered as possible negative electrode material in RMB, although their application is debated in the research community [4]. The calculation method here described allowed us to compare the practical energy densities of full cells with either Mg metal or Mg 2 Sn anodes, as we consider the latter as the most suitable option among all known alloys for reaching interesting performance.…”

“…Discussion about the different types of anode materials is made in close connection to various types of electrolytes (liquid, solid-state, polymer and ionic liquids based) and finally a section on cathode materials classified on the basis of their electrochemical mechanisms, as insertion, conversion and coordination systems, is provided to complete this perspective. With the respect to the other recently published review papers [4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11], the target of this report is to provide for each component of a RMB a critical assessment, evaluated quantitatively in terms of their potential practical performance in a cell (volumetric and gravimetric energy densities). Results shown in Fig.…”

Recent Progress and Challenges in the Optimization of Electrode Materials for Rechargeable Magnesium Batteries

“…Li‐ion battery (LIB) technology has already achieved great success in the application of commercial portable electronic devices benefited from the characteristics of high energy density, high power density and environmental friendliness. [ 7–10 ] Li has the lowest oxidation potential (−3.04 V vs SHE) among metals, thus Li metal is the most suitable anode to deliver the highest energy density for a battery system. However, the limited reserve of Li sources, safety issues and high cost restrict its further applications.…”

Practical energy densities, cost, and technical challenges for magnesium‐sulfur batteries

“…The low utilization of S due to low electrical conductivity of S and resultant MgS 35,36 The formation of Mg dendrites at high current densities 24,37‐41 The sluggish Mg 2+ transport; The Mg 2+ migration barrier calculated for MgS is ∼900 meV, suggesting that MgS can be electrochemically inactive and can significantly limit Mg transport in the composite electrode 42,43 …”