HIGH ENERGY DENSITY ALUMINUM BATTERY
Compositions and methods of making are provided for a high energy density aluminum battery. The battery comprises an anode comprising aluminum metal. The battery further comprises a cathode comprising a material capable of intercalating aluminum ions during a discharge cycle and deintercalating the aluminum ions during a charge cycle. The battery further comprises an electrolyte capable of supporting reversible deposition and stripping of aluminum at the anode, and reversible intercalation and deintercalation of aluminum at the cathode.
1 . A battery comprising:
an anode comprising aluminum metal;
a cathode comprising a material capable of intercalating aluminum ions during a discharge cycle and deintercalating the aluminum ions during a charge cycle; and
an electrolyte capable of supporting reversible deposition and stripping of aluminum at the anode, and reversible intercalation and deintercalation of aluminum at the cathode.
2 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the battery is a primary battery.
3 . The battery of claim 2 , wherein the cathode material is selected from the group consisting of Ti(AlCl 4 ) 2 , MnCl(AlCl 4 ), Co(AlCl 4 ) 2 .
4 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the battery is a secondary battery.
5 . The battery of claim 4 , wherein the secondary battery maintains a discharge capacity of at least 50% of an initial discharge capacity after 50 discharge cycles.
6 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the cathode material is selected from the group consisting of Mn 2 O 4 , Ti(AlCl 4 ) 2 , MnCl(AlCl 4 ), Co(AlCl 4 ) 2 , and V 2 O 5 .
7 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the cathoide material comprises spinel-Mn 2 O 4 .
8 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the cathode material comprises V 2 O 5 .
9 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises an ionic liquid.
10 . The battery of claim 9 , wherein the ionic liquid is an aluminate selected from the group consisting of alkylimidazolium aluminates, alkylpyridinium aluminates, alkylfluoropyrazolium aluminates, alkyltriazolium aluminates, aralkylammonium aluminates, alkylalkoxyammonium aluminates, aralkylphosphonium aluminates, aralkylsulfonium aluminates, and mixtures thereof.
11 . The battery of claim 10 , wherein the electrolyte further comprises aluminum chloride, and the ratio of aluminum chloride to the aluminate is greater than 1:1.
12 . The battery of claim 11 , wherein the electrolyte further comprises an alkali metal halide additive.
13 . The battery of claim 12 , wherein the alkali metal halide additive is selected from the group consisting of: NaCl, KCl, NH 4 Cl, and mixtures thereof.
14 . The battery of claim 9 , wherein the electrolyte comprises ethylmethylimidazolium tetrachloroaluminate and aluminum chloride.
15 . The battery of claim 14 , wherein the molar ratio of aluminum chloride to ethylmethylimidazolium tetrachloroaluminate is greater than 1:1.
16 . The battery of claim 15 , wherein the electrolyte further comprises an alkali metal halide additive.
17 . The battery of claim 16 , wherein the alkali metal halide additive is selected from the group consisting of: NaCl, KCl, NH 4 Cl, and mixtures thereof.
18 . The battery of claim 9 , wherein the ionic liquid is a neutral ionic liquid comprising:
a cation having one of the following structures:
wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 each independently comprise a non-ionizable substitutent; and
a anion having one of the following structures: CF 3 SO 3 − , B(CO 2 ) 4 , N(SO 2 CF 2 CF 3 ) 2 , N(SO 2 CF 3 ) 2 − , N(SO 2 F) 2 − , PF 6 − , BF 4 − , and BF 4-x (C n F 2n+1 ) x − , wherein x=1, 2, or 3, and n=1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10.
19 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises an organic solving having a high dielectric constant.
20 . The battery of claim 19 , wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of propylene carbonate, ethylmethylsulfone, ethylmethoxyethylsulfone, and methoxyethylmethylsulfone.
21 . The battery of claim 20 , wherein the cathode material is selected from the group consisting of spinel-Mn 2 O 4 , Ti(AlCl 4 ) 2 , MnCl(AlCl 4 ), Co(AlCl 4 ) 2 , and V 2 O 5 .
22 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the battery is used in a grid storage application, vehicle battery application, portable electronic device application, or standard cell size battery application.
23 . A battery comprising:
an aluminum metal anode;
a λ-MnO 2 cathode capable of intercalating aluminum ions during a discharge cycle and deintercalating the aluminum ions during a charge cycle; and
an ionic liquid electrolyte comprising aluminum chloride and ethylmethylimidazolium tetrachloroaluminate, having a molar ratio of aluminum chloride to ethylmethylimidazolium tetrachloroaluminate greater than 1:1;
wherein the electrolyte is capable of supporting reversible deposition and stripping of aluminum at the anode, and reversible intercalation and deintercalation of aluminum at the cathode.
24 . The battery of claim 23 , wherein the battery maintains a discharge capacity of at least 50% of an initial discharge capacity after 50 discharge cycles.
25 . A method of making a battery comprising:
providing an anode comprising aluminum metal;
providing a cathode comprising a material capable of intercalating aluminum ions during a discharge cycle and deintercalating the aluminum ions during a charge cycle; and
providing an electrolyte capable of supporting reversible deposition and stripping of aluminum at the anode, and reversible intercalation and deintercalation of aluminum at the cathode.
26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the cathode material is selected from the group consisting of Mn 2 O 4 , Ti(AlCl 4 ) 2 , MnCl(AlCl 4 ), Co(AlCl 4 ) 2 , and V 2 O 5 .
27 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the electrolyte comprises aluminum chloride and an ionic liquid aluminate selected from the group consisting of alkylimidazolium aluminates, alkylpyridinium aluminates, alkylfluoropyrazolium aluminates, alkyltriazolium aluminates, aralkylammonium aluminates, alkylalkoxyammonium aluminates, aralkylphosphonium aluminates, aralkylsulfonium aluminates, and mixtures thereof; wherein the ratio of aluminum chloride to the aluminate is greater than 1:1.
28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the electrolyte further comprises an alkali metal halide additive.
29 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the electrolyte comprises ethylmethylimidazolium tetrachloroaluminate and aluminum chloride; wherein the molar ratio of aluminum chloride to ethylmethylimidazolium tetrachloroaluminate is greater than 1:1.
30 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the electrolyte further comprises an alkali metal halide additive.
31 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the electrolyte is a neutral ionic liquid electrolyte comprising:
a cation having one of the following structures:
wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 each independently comprise a non-ionizable substitutent; and
a anion having one of the following structures: CF 3 SO 3 − , B(CO 2 ) 4 − , N(SO 2 CF 2 CF 3 ) 2 , N(SO 2 CF 3 ) 2 , N(SO 2 F) 2 , PF 6 − , BF 4 − , and BF 4 − , and BF 3-x (C n F 2n+1 ) x − ; wherein x=1, 2, or 3, and n=1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10.
32 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the electrolyte comprises an organic solvent selected from the group consisting of propylene carbonate, ethylmethylsulfone, ethylmethoxyethylsulfone, and methoxyethylmethylsulfone.