CHAPTER 5. Anode Materials for Rechargeable Mg Batteries

Advancements in lithium-ion battery (LIB) technologies for e-mobility in terms of characteristic improvements and declining costs are proving to be beneficial for their application for both utility-scale and small-scale stationary energy storage. However, LIBs face challenges related to perceived future supply–demand mis-match of critical raw materials such as cobalt and lithium, and general safety and cost factors, particularly for off-grid markets. Rechargeable magnesium batteries (RMBs) are promising alternative for LIBs for stationary energy storage applications owing to their superior volumetric capacity, abundance and the low cost of magnesium metal. Nevertheless, the progress of RMBs is critically limited by the materials (anode, electrolyte, cathode, current collector) challenges. The formation of a non-ion conducting layer on the magnesium metal with conventional electrolytes during cycling is one such challenge that severely affects the development of RMB technology. This chapter presents a literature-based review on the research of the development of various types of anode materials such as Mg nanostructures, Mg intermetallic alloys and insertion-type materials for RMBs.