Enhanced storage behavior of quasi-solid-state aluminum-selenium battery

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Aluminum-selenium batteries face significant capacity fading.
• Dissolution of selenium chloride (Se2Cl2) products in ionic liquid electrolytes causes performance degradation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the electrochemical performance and stability of rechargeable aluminum-selenium batteries.
• To address the critical issue of capacity loss in aluminum-selenium batteries.

Main Methods:

• Adoption of a gel-polymer electrolyte.
• Fabrication of a solid-state aluminum-selenium battery with a stable electrode/electrolyte interface.

Main Results:

• The gel-polymer electrolyte enabled lower self-discharge and distinct discharging platforms.
• Initial discharge capacity reached 386 mA h g⁻¹ (vs. 267 mA h g⁻¹ in ionic liquid).
• Capacity retention after 100 cycles was 79 mA h g⁻¹ (vs. 32 mA h g⁻¹ in ionic liquid) at 200 mA g⁻¹.

Conclusions:

• Gel-polymer electrolytes offer an effective strategy for improving aluminum-selenium battery performance.
• The stable interface provided by the gel-polymer electrolyte mitigates capacity loss issues.