Aluminum-magnesium alloys: A better alternative to using high purity Al for reversible non-aqueous aluminum electrodeposition

Aluminum-magnesium alloys: A better alternative to using high purity Al for reversible non-aqueous aluminum electrodeposition

Energy Storage Materials

10.1016/j.ensm.2026.105142

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ensm.2026.105142

Sonal Kumar, Deviprasath Chinnadurai, Albertus Denny Handoko, Man-Fai Ng, Gang Wu, Haiyi Wang, Zainul Aabdin, Tanmay Ghosh, Zhenxiang Xing, Jianbiao Wang, Wutthikrai Busayaporn, Wanwisa Limphirat, Guihua Yu, Zhi Wei Seh

battery energy storage system

19 April 2026

Kumar, S., Chinnadurai, D., Handoko, A. D., Ng, M.-F., Wu, G., Wang, H., Aabdin, Z., Ghosh, T., Xing, Z., Wang, J., Busayaporn, W., Limphirat, W., Yu, G., & Seh, Z. W. (2026). Aluminum-magnesium alloys: A better alternative to using high purity Al for reversible non-aqueous aluminum electrodeposition. Energy Storage Materials, 88, 105142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ensm.2026.105142

Spontaneous and irreversible oxide formation on Al metal has remained a stubborn problem for its usage as metal anode in electrochemical systems. This oxide layer has a high bandgap and renders the Al surface inert towards electrochemical reactions. Enhancing the surface activity of Al metal and sustaining it for long cycling life holds the key to the practical realization of rechargeable Al metal batteries (RAMBs). Herein, we demonstrate that minor Mg alloying of Al significantly enhances its electrochemical activity and interfacial transport properties. Evaluated as an anode in non-aqueous electrolytes for RAMBs, this Mg-alloyed Al achieved an unprecedentedly low plating/stripping overpotential of 0.05 V, which could be sustained to <0.15 V over ∼1000 cycles of plating/stripping. We propose that: 1) Mg containing local anodic sites undergo preferential oxidation to mitigate excessive passivation of Al anode and 2) Mg enters the cation lattice of the passivating oxide film on anode to generate anionic vacancies. Both these factors combined improve surface transport properties. We anticipate that this discovery could drive a shift in the field toward adopting Mg-alloyed Al as a standard anode material for RAMBs.

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

This research / project is supported by the Singapore National Research Foundation - National Research Foundation Investigatorship
Grant Reference no. : NRF-NRFI09–0002

This research / project is supported by the MTC Programmatic Fund - Manufacturing, Trade, and Connectivity Programmatic Fund
Grant Reference no. : M23L9b0052

National Supercomputing Center (NSCC) Singapore and Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Computational Resource Centre (A*CRC)

2023 Singapore-China Joint Flagship Project (Clean Energy).

This research / project is supported by the Welch Foundation Award - NA
Grant Reference no. : F-1861

https://oar.a-star.edu.sg/communities-collections/articles/23521

2405-8297

Institute of Materials Research and Engineering