Without a doubt the Holy Grail of battery research is the development of a post lithium ion technology. This may require a shift towards batteries containing a pure metal anode. Li metal is an attractive metal anode in part due to its high volumetric capacity (2062 mAh cm-3), a high reductive potential of -3.0 V vs. NHE and the wide availability of lithium electrolytes. However, its deposition occurs unevenly with formation of dendrites which leads to safety concerns during cycling. In contrast to lithium metal, magnesium metal deposition is not plagued by dendritic formation. Additionally, magnesium is more stable than lithium when exposed to air, more abundant in the earth crust and provides a higher volumetric capacity (3832 mAh cm-3). However, magnesium has a reductive potential of -2.36 V vs. NHE and has a unique electrochemistry which prohibited the use of magnesium electrolytes that are analogues of lithium electrolytes.  Since the oxidative stability of electrolytes governs the choice of cathodes it is of paramount importance to develop a non-corrosive magnesium electrolyte which will permit discovery of high voltage cathodes. In this talk we will present the latest developments in the area of magnesium battery electrolytes and future challenges which must be overcome.1,2,3,4 1. Aurbach, D., Lu, Z., Schechter, A., Gofer, Y., Gizbar, H., Turgeman, R., Cohen, Y., Moshkovich, M. and Levi, E., Nature, 2000, 407 , 724-727.2. Kim, H.S., Arthur, T.S., Allred, G.D., Zajicek, J., Newman, J.G., Rodnyansky, A.E., Oliver, A.G., Boggess, W.C. and Muldoon, J., Nat. Commun., 2011, 2 , 427.3. Muldoon, J., Bucur, C.B., Oliver, A.G., Sugimoto, T., Matsui, M., Kim, H.S., Allred, G.D., Zajicek, J. and Kotani, Y., Energy Environ. Sci, 2012, 5 , 5941-5950.4. Muldoon, J., Bucur, C.B., Oliver, A.G., Zajicek, J., Allred, G.D and Boggess, W.C. Energy Environ. Sci, 2013, 6 , 482-487.

Gold rush toward a post lithium ion battery

247th National Meeting (2014)

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