Aluminum-based materials for advanced battery systems

REVIEW SCIENCE CHINA Materials mater.scichina.com link.springer.com Published online 4 July 2017 | doi: 10.1007/s40843-017-9060-x Sci China Mater 2017, 60(7): 577–607 Aluminum-based materials for advanced battery systems Jiaqing Qiu, Mingming Zhao, Qunxing Zhao, Yuxia Xu, Li Zhang, Xin Lu, Huaiguo Xue and Huan Pang* ABSTRACT There has been increasing interest in developing micro/nanostructured aluminum-based materials for sustainable, dependable and high-efficiency electrochemical energy storage. This review chiefly discusses the aluminum-based electrode materials mainly including Al2O3, AlF3, AlPO4, Al(OH) 3, as well as the composites (carbons, silicons, metals and transition metal oxides) for lithium-ion batteries, the development of aluminum-ion batteries, and nickel-metal hydride alkaline secondary batteries, which summarizes the methodologies, related charge-storage mechanisms, the relationship between nanostructures and electrochemical properties found in recent years, latest research achievements and their potential applications. In addition, we raise the relevant challenges in recently developed electrode materials and put forward new ideas for further development of micro/nanostructured aluminum-based materials in advanced battery systems. Keywords: aluminum, battery, electrochemical, nanomaterial INTRODUCTION Nowadays, the environmental problems, such as pollution and global warming, are increasing rapidly, which has boosted the society to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Therefore, it has given a great impetus to utilize renewable energy and sustainable resources. Battery technologies can store various intermittent renewable sources, such as solar and wind energy, thus achieving the goal [1–4]. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are considered as the most promising electrochemical portable devices among the commercial batteries for their high energy density, no memory effect, and merely a dull loss of capacity when not in use. The advent of LIBs has led to a revolution in the wireless. Furthermore, it has stimulated intense efforts on powering electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). Electrode materials are the key components of LIBs, which play a vital role in the overall performance [5–11]. Energy density, power density, safety, life and cost are five basic elements in the application of LIBs. Only by balancing these factors with suitable materials can we power electrochemical energy storage devices. It is worth mentioning that aluminum is a material with great promise for LIBs due to the following superiorities. Firstly, aluminum has considerably high theoretical capacity (∼993 mA h g−1), and its volume expansion is merely about 97% [12–14]. Secondly, the steady power output of LIBs using aluminum-based (Al-based) materials can be indicated by the flat and wide plateaus in the charge-discharge curves. Finally, aluminum is the most abundant metal in the Earth. It is cheap and environment-friendly, encouraging a broader range of applications of LIBs. On the other hand, with the rapidly emerging market of LIBs, there is a huge consumption in lithium resources each year, which will further aggravate the shortage of lithium resources [15]. Recently, a large number of studies have been focusing attention on alternative battery systems, such as aluminum-ion (Al-ion) batteries (AIBs), which have similar operating principles as LIBs. Moreover, three electron transfers are involved in the Al-based redox couple during the electrochemical charge/discharge process, so that the AIB possesses competitive storage capacity comparing to the single-electron LIB. The electrochemical equivalent of an Al-based redox couple (8.04 A h cm−3) is 5.98 A h cm−3 higher than that of lithium [16]. But identifying an inexpensive ionic liquid electrolyte is still exploring, and finding suitable cathode materials for simple ions to transport in a reversible manner remains a challenge. Even so, the obvious advantages of AIBs still make them more attractive for future power source development. Apart from the advanced LIBs and new rechargeable College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China * Corresponding author (emails: or ) 577 July 2017 | Vol.60 No.7 © Science China Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2017 REVIEW SCIENCE CHINA Materials AIBs, nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) alkaline secondary batteries also have attracted much attention. They have superb power density, high specific energy, smooth discharge platform, and are nontoxic and environmental-friendly. Besides, they exhibit good electrochemical property at low temperature. These advantages make them become one of the most potential devices for EVs and HEVs applications as well. Numerous researches have focused on Al-based materials in rechargeable batteries. The creative and rational design of unique nanoarchitectures in Al-based materials help address many issues encountered during the electrochemical reactions. In this review, we highlight recent applications of Al-based materials on the development of LIBs (Al2O3, AlF3, AlPO4, Al–Si alloy, etc.), AIBs (the evolution and selection of electrolyte and cathode materials) and Ni-MH alkaline secondary battery (merit and demerit of nickel aluminum layered double hydroxide materials and the improvement by doping with various other materials). In addition, we will discuss the progress and give our insight toward these batteries based on the literature studies. Al-BASED NANOSTRUCTURES AS ELECTRODE MATERIALS FOR LIBs Al2O3 It is the key to the next generation of high-energy LIBs to develop excellent electrode materials with low cost and high energy density. Recently, various oxides such as lithium manganese-based oxides, lithium trivanadate (LiV3O8), nanostructured silicon materials [17–27], carbon materials such as graphite, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and other materials are considered to be promising materials for large-scale production due to their environmental benignity, safety, good rate capability and cost-effective application for rechargeable LIBs. However, for lithium manganese-based oxides, such as spinel LiMn2−xNixO4 (0<x≤0.5) cathode oxides, the high operating voltage (~4.7 V) always results in serious electrolyte decomposition and a thick solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer on the electrode surface with weak electronic and lithium conductivity [28–32]. So when charged to 4.5 V or higher, lithium manganese-based oxides, show appreciable capacity fade during cycling. In addition, they suffer from Mn dissolution, leading to material loss through corrosion. So the cycle ability of the materials has not been sufficient enough as a commercial cathode. Besides, the commercial use of Si anode materials in LIBs is severely hindered by some problems, including enormous volume expansion and contraction resulted from lithium insertion and extraction, surface side reactions, the electrochemical agglomeratio (...truncated)