Study on new generation rechargeable thin film metal-ion battery with nano-structured electrodes: electrical energy storage

Abstract

With the ever increasing global need for energy day by day, fossil-based fuels (coal, petroleum, and natural gas) as our primary energy sources are rapidly decreasing but their combustion produces more greenhouse gases and other pollutants in our environment. So as a result, there is an urgent need to seek renewable clean energy sources such as, solar energy, wind energy etc. as alternatives. Energy storage is a critical issue in enabling various renewable energy sources to be used widely. Batteries are used widely to store electrical energy in the form of chemical energy. Due to high energy and power density, Li-ion batteries have been intensively investigated as the primary electrical energy storage (EES) system. But, their main disadvantages include high cost, limited lithium resources in the earth’s crust, reliability and safety. So the alternative to Li-ion battery is being explored. Due to the low cost, higher safety, low-flammability, lower reactivity, friendliness and natural abundance of aluminium, the Al-ion battery is being explored as alternative prospects. However, there is a requirement for better cathode material and separator for the Al-ion battery system in terms of better capacity, higher safety, lower cost and longer recyclability (or lifetime). Here we studied the performance of graphite as cathode against aluminium metal as anode in an ionic liquid based electrolyte using SnO2 coated glass fiber and polypropylene separator in Al-ion and Al-air battery and comparing them with bare glass fiber and polypropylene separator respectively.