Investigation into Non-Aqueous Aluminium Battery Materials for Enhanced Power and Capacity

主要目的：这个项目将研究铝离子和铝空气电池中使用的材料，以了解它们如何影响功率输出、容量和充电能力。有趣的是：为了提高铝离子和铝空气电池的性能，需要关于所有组件的行为和性能的信息，包括阴极和离子传导电解液。在金属离子电池中，通常金属嵌入在阴极，电解液用于将金属离子或含有这些离子的更大的络合物传导到阴极。同样，对于金属空气，电解液将金属离子转移到阴极，形成金属氧化物/过氧化氢，并将氢氧化物离子转移到阳极。电解液：电解液同时传导阴离子和阳离子，形成有助于或阻碍离子转移的络合物。电解液及其组成对容量、功率和稳定性有很大影响，因为它影响形成的络合物的水合壳的类型和大小，例如AlCl4-和Al2Cl7-络合物的行为不同。铝是一种比锂更大的离子，具有更多的价电子。这意味着阴极体积有很大的变化以适应Al3+离子的插入。这项研究将着眼于将铝或阴离子(如氯化物)嵌入阴极材料，以及在两个电极上形成产物以分配体积变化的可行性；例如，与Cl-一起嵌入的充满电的阴极，在放电时会将Cl-移动到阳极形成AlCl3，而Al3+移动到阴极形成Al插层。将进行测试的电解液包括Emim-Cl/AlCl3和其他导电氯离子的电解液。铝空气电池可以用于电动汽车，实现理论上更接近汽油动力汽车的功率，而且是一种更便宜的替代品。用过的铝可以回收，减少了总体浪费，使这一过程更可持续。空气电池的一个潜在用途可能是可再生能源的储能。作为二次电池，它们领先于大多数金属-空气电池，后者通常是不可充电的，因为在较高电位下不稳定的电解液。电解液将包括Emim-Cl/AlCl3，它已经在铝空气电池中发挥作用，但没有用不同的阴极或添加剂进行测试。其他允许OH-离子转移的电解液也将进行测试。还可以在电解液中添加更多的溶剂，以帮助氧还原/放出反应的可逆性。阴极：离子电池正极材料将根据阳离子(铝)和阴离子(如Cl-)的嵌入情况进行测试。将研究的材料将包括MnO2，因为之前的研究获得了高功率和高容量的值。空气电池的研究将主要集中在能够进行放氧/还原反应的阴极，以及能够导电铝离子或氢氧化物离子的离子电解液材料。将要研究的阴极催化剂还将包括MnO2，因为它在离子电池中工作得很好。

Main Aim: This project will look into the materials used in Aluminium ion and Aluminium air batteries in order to understand how they influence the power output, capacity and recharge ability.Novelty:In order to improve the performance of Aluminium ion and Aluminium air batteries, information is needed on the behaviour and the properties of all components including the cathode and the ion-conducting electrolyte.In metal ion batteries typically the metal is intercalated at the cathode and the electrolyte is used to conduct metal ions or larger complexes containing these ions to the cathode. Similarly for metal air, electrolytes transfer metal ions to the cathode forming metal oxide/peroxide, as well as transferring hydroxide ions to the anode.Electrolyte:Electrolytes conduct both anions and cations, forming complexes that can aid or hinder ionic transfer. The electrolyte and its composition have shown large effects on capacity, power and stability as it influences the hydration shell of the type and size of the complex formed e.g. AlCl4- vs Al2Cl-7- complexes behave differently.Aluminium is a larger ion than lithium with more valent electrons. This means that there is a large change in cathode volume to accommodate the Al3+ ion insertion. This research will look at intercalation of aluminium or anions such as chloride into cathode materials as well as the feasibility of product formation on both electrodes to distribute volume change; e.g. a fully charged cathode that is intercalated with Cl-, which will on discharge move the Cl- to the anode to form AlCl3 while Al3+ moves to the cathode to form Al intercalate. Electrolytes that will be tested include EMIM-Cl/AlCl3 among others that conduct Cl- ions.Aluminium air batteries could be used in electric vehicles, achieving a theoretical power closer to that of gasoline powered vehicles as well as being a cheaper alternative. The used aluminium can be recycled, reducing the overall waste making the process more sustainable. A potential use for air batteries could be energy storage for renewable sources. Being secondary batteries puts them ahead of the majority of metal-air batteries which are normally non-rechargeable due to unstable electrolytes at higher potentials.The electrolytes will include EMIM-Cl/AlCl3 which has worked in Al-air batteries but hasn't been tested with different cathodes or additives. Other electrolytes that allow the transfer of OH- ions will also be tested. Additional solvents could also be added to the electrolyte to aid in oxygen reduction/ evolution reaction reversibility.Cathode:Ion battery cathode materials will be tested on the basis of the intercalation of cations (aluminium) and anions (e.g. Cl-). The materials that will be studied will include MnO2 because of high power and capacity values obtained in previous research. The air battery research will focus mainly on cathodes that enable oxygen evolution/reduction reactions and ionic electrolyte materials that are capable of conducting aluminium ions or hydroxide ions. The cathode catalysts to be studied will also include MnO2 as it worked well in ion batteries.