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

主要目的：本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。新奇：为了提高铝离子和铝空气电池的性能，需要所有组件的行为和属性的信息，包括阴极和离子传导电解质。在金属离子电池中，通常金属插入阴极，电解质用于将金属离子或含有这些离子的更大络合物传导到阴极。与金属空气类似，电解质将金属离子转移到阴极，形成金属氧化物/过氧化物，并将氢氧根离子转移到阳极。电解质：电解质既传导阴离子又传导阳离子，形成复合物，可以帮助或阻碍离子转移。电解质及其组成对容量、功率和稳定性有很大的影响，因为它影响所形成的络合物的类型和尺寸的水合壳层，例如AlCl 4-与Al 2Cl 7-络合物的行为不同。这意味着阴极体积有很大的变化以适应Al 3+离子的插入。这项研究将着眼于铝或阴离子（如氯化物）嵌入阴极材料，以及在两个电极上形成产物以分布体积变化的可行性;例如，用Cl-嵌入的完全充电的阴极，其将在放电时将Cl-移动到阳极以形成AlCl 3，而Al 3+移动到阴极以形成Al嵌入。将被测试的电解质包括EMIM-Cl/AlCl 3等传导Cl-离子的电解质。铝空气电池可用于电动汽车，实现接近汽油动力汽车的理论功率，并且是更便宜的替代品。用过的铝可以回收利用，减少整体浪费，使该工艺更具可持续性。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，后者通常不可充电，因为在较高的电位下电解质不稳定。电解质将包括EMIM-Cl/AlCl 3，其已在铝空气电池中工作，但尚未使用不同的阴极或添加剂进行测试。还将检测允许OH-离子转移的其他电解质。阴极：离子电池阴极材料将根据阳离子（铝）和阴离子（例如Cl-）的嵌入进行测试。将被研究的材料将包括二氧化锰，因为在以前的研究中获得的高功率和容量值。空气电池研究将主要集中在能够进行析氧/还原反应的阴极和能够传导铝离子或氢氧根离子的离子电解质材料上。待研究的阴极催化剂也将包括MnO 2，因为它在离子电池中工作良好。

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.