A Novel Aluminum-Ion Battery: Al/AlCl3-[EMIm]Cl/Ni3S2@Graphene

Due to an ever-increasing demand for electronic devices, rechargeable batteries are attractive for energy storage systems. A novel rechargeable aluminum-ion battery based on Al3+ intercalation and deintercalation is fabricated with Ni3S2/graphene microflakes composite as cathode material and high-purity Al foil as anode. This kind of aluminum-ion battery comprises of an electrolyte containing AlCl3 in an ionic liquid of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([EMIm]Cl). Galvanostatic charge/discharge measurements have been performed in a voltage range of 0.1-2.0 V versus Al/AlCl4-. An initial discharge specific capacity of 350 mA h g(-1) at a current density of 100 mA g(-1) is achieved, and the discharge capacity remains over 60 mA h g(-1) and coulombic efficiency of 99% after 100 cycles. Typically, for the current density at 200 mA g(-1), the initial charge and discharge capacities are 300 and 235 mA h g(-1), respectively. More importantly, it should be emphasized that the battery has a high discharge voltage plateau (approximate to 1.0 V vs Al/AlCl4-). These meaningful results represent a significant step forward in the development of aluminum-ion batteries.