Towards a calcium-based rechargeable battery.
The development of a rechargeable battery technology using light electropositive metal anodes would result in a breakthrough in energy density. For multivalent charge carriers (M(n+)), the number of ions that must react to achieve a certain electrochemical capacity is diminished by two (n = 2) or three (n = 3) when compared with Li(+) (ref. ). Whereas proof of concept has been achieved for magnesium, the electrodeposition of calcium has so far been thought to be impossible and research has been restricted to non-rechargeable systems. Here we demonstrate the feasibility of calcium plating at moderate temperatures using conventional organic electrolytes, such as those used for the Li-ion technology. The reversibility of the process on cycling has been ascertained and thus the results presented here constitute the first step towards the development of a new rechargeable battery technology using calcium anodes.
Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) Campus UAB, E-08193 Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain.
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Ponrouch
Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) Campus UAB, E-08193 Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain.
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http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0091-4756
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Frontera
Toyota Motor Europe, Research and Development 3, Advanced Technology 1, Technical Centre, Hoge Wei 33 B, B-1930 Zaventem, Belgium.
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Bardé
Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) Campus UAB, E-08193 Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain.
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Palacín