Liquid Metal Electrodes for Energy Storage Batteries

Abstract

The increasing demands for integration of renewable energy into the grid and urgently needed devices for peak shaving and power rating of the grid both call for low‐cost and large‐scale energy storage technologies. The use of secondary batteries is considered one of the most effective approaches to solving the intermittency of renewables and smoothing the power fluctuations of the grid. In these batteries, the states of the electrode highly affect the performance and manufacturing process of the battery, and therefore leverage the price of the battery. A battery with liquid metal electrodes is easy to scale up and has a low cost and long cycle life. In this progress report, the state‐of‐the‐art overview of liquid metal electrodes (LMEs) in batteries is reviewed, including the LMEs in liquid metal batteries (LMBs) and the liquid sodium electrode in sodium‐sulfur (Na–S) and ZEBRA (Na–NiCl2) batteries. Besides the LMEs, the development of electrolytes for LMEs and the challenge of using LMEs in the batteries, and the future prospects of using LMEs are also discussed.

Defect Promoted Capacity and Durability of N‐MnO2–x Branch Arrays via Low‐Temperature NH3 Treatment for Advanced Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries

“…The discharge capacities of N‐MnO 2– x @TiC/C at 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 3 A g −1 are measured to be 286.3, 241.3, 204, 155.2, and 121.5 mAh g −1 (Figure S9a, Supporting Information), respectively, higher than the MnO 2 @TiC/C and N‐(MnO 2 /Mn 3 O 4 )@TiC/C samples (Figures S9b and S8c, Supporting Information) and substantially superior to most of the reported ZIB cathodes (Table S3, Supporting Information). In addition to the much better rate performance, the N‐MnO 2– x @TiC/C cathode is also demonstrated with a higher energy density of 386.5 Wh kg −1 at 270 W kg −1 and 164 Wh kg −1 at high power energy density of 4050 W kg −1 (Figure S10, Supporting Information), which outperform the other reported cathodes, such as δ‐MnO 2 (320 Wh kg −1 at 106.24 W kg −1 ), todorokite‐type MnO 2 (150 Wh kg −1 at 170 W kg −1 ), VS 2 (123 Wh kg −1 at 32.3 W kg −1 ), V 2 O 5 (237.16 Wh kg −1 at 49 W kg −1 ), ZnMn 2 O 4 (202 Wh kg −1 at 67.5 W kg −1 ), H 2 V 3 O 8 (250 Wh kg −1 at 62.5 W kg −1 ), V 2 O 5 @PEDOT/CC (243.3 Wh kg −1 at 90 W kg −1 ), MoS 2 (148.2 Wh kg −1 at 70.5 W kg −1 ), and Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 2 F 3 (148.2 Wh kg −1 at 70.5 W kg −1 ) . Furthermore, excellent cycling performances is achieved for the N‐MnO 2– x @TiC/C electrode (Figure e).…”

Electrode Behaviors of Na-Zn Liquid Metal Battery

“…8(a). The values of the diffusion coefficients obtained at various applied potentials can be determined by using Cottrell's equation as shown in equation (4). Fig.…”

“…These liquid layers float over each other because of differences in their density and immiscibility. The all-liquid battery construction confers advantages of extremely high current density, long cycle life, and simple manufacture of large-scale storage systems [3,4]. The Sadoway research group has developed several liquid metal batteries, such as Mg//Mg-Sb [5], Li//Sb-Pb [6], Li//SbSn [7], calcium-based [8], and sodium-based liquid metal battery [9].…”

Communication—Molten Amide-Hydroxide-Iodide Electrolyte for a Low-Temperature Sodium-Based Liquid Metal Battery

“…Moreover, the absence of solid electrodes endows the battery with an extended service lifetime (>10,000 cycles). 2,3 The negative and positive electrodes are selected based on melting point and density as well as the voltage associated with alloy formation, whereas the electrolyte is chosen based on melting point, metal solubility, density, ionic conductivity, and electrochemical window. 2 Metal solubility in the electrolyte varies exponentially with operating temperature.…”