Emerging Nonaqueous Aluminum-Ion Batteries: Challenges, Status, and Perspectives

Aluminum-ion batteries (AIBs) are regarded as viable alternatives to lithium-ion technology because of their high volumetric capacity, their low cost, and the rich abundance of aluminum. However, several serious drawbacks of aqueous systems (passive film formation, hydrogen evolution, anode corrosion, etc.) hinder the large-scale application of these systems. Thus, nonaqueous AIBs show incomparable advantages for progress in large-scale electrical energy storage. However, nonaqueous aluminum battery systems are still nascent, and various technical and scientific obstacles to designing AIBs with high capacity and long cycling life have not been resolved until now. Moreover, the aluminum cell is a complex device whose energy density is determined by various parameters, most of which are often ignored, resulting in failure to achieve the maximum performance of the cell. The purpose here is to discuss how to further develop reliable nonaqueous AIBs. First, the current status of nonaqueous AIBs is reviewed based on statistical data from the literature. The influence of parameters on energy density is analyzed, and the current situation and existing problems are summarized. Furthermore, possible solutions and concerns regarding the construction of reliable nonaqueous AIBs are comprehensively discussed. Finally, future research directions and prospects in the aluminum battery field are proposed.