Magnesium-based methods, systems, and devices
View Patent ↗An aspect of the present invention is an electrical device, where the device includes a current collector and a porous active layer electrically connected to the current collector to form an electrode. The porous active layer includes MgB x particles, where x≧1, mixed with a conductive additive and a binder additive to form empty interstitial spaces between the MgB x particles, the conductive additive, and the binder additive. The MgB x particles include a plurality of boron sheets of boron atoms covalently bound together, with a plurality of magnesium atoms reversibly intercalated between the boron sheets and ionically bound to the boron atoms.
1. An electrical device comprising:
a current collector;
a liquid electrolyte comprising magnesium tetrahydroborate; and
an active layer electrically connected to the current collector to form an anode, wherein:
the active layer comprises a plurality of particles, a conductive additive, and a binder additive,
the plurality of particles are present at a first amount between 50 wt % and 70 wt %, the conductive additive is at a second amount between 10 wt % and 30 wt %, and the binder additive is at a third amount of less than or equal to 40 wt %,
the plurality of particles, the conductive additive, and the binder additive form a plurality of interstitial spaces within the active layer,
a portion of the liquid electrolyte is positioned within and fills at least a portion of the plurality of interstitial spaces,
the plurality of particles have a first state comprising at least two boron sheets with a plurality of magnesium atoms intercalated between the boron sheets resulting in a first composition MgB 2 ,
the plurality of particles have a second state comprising the at least two boron sheets and a fraction, 1−y, of the plurality of magnesium atoms intercalated between the boron sheets resulting in a second composition Mg (1-y) B 2 , where 0<y≦1,
while in the second state, the liquid electrolyte contains at least y Mg 2+ cations, and
the electrical device is capable of reversibly switching between the first state and the second state.
2. The electrical device of claim 1 further comprising:
a cathode, wherein:
the anode and the cathode are immersed in the liquid electrolyte.
3. The electrical device of claim 2 , wherein the cathode comprises vanadium oxide.
4. The electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive additive comprises acetylene black.
5. The electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the binder additive comprises polyvinylidene fluoride.
6. The electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the current collector comprises at least one of aluminum, copper, gold, or silver.
7. The electrical device of claim 1 , wherein the liquid electrolyte further comprises dimethoxyethane.