Scientific Achievement
This Perspective describes a holistic approach to robustly confirm and quantify Mg intercalation in metal oxides, and critically surveys recent literature to reveal true state-of-the-art metal oxides for Mg batteries.
Significance and Impact
This Perspective reveals that there is often a significant disparity between reported capacities and stoichiometric changes in metal oxide cathodes in dry conditions. Of all materials analyzed, α-V2O5 and the spinels MgM2O4 (M = Cr, Co, Fe, Mn, V) are the current leading candidates for Mg battery cathodes.
Research Details
- >220 metal oxide cathode materials were surveyed within the Mg battery literature
- Mg intercalation activity was ratified by structural, redox, and elemental probes
- Confirmed capacities at room temperature are low (median value of 59 mA h g−1)
- Significant capacities only achieved at elevated temperature (50-110 °C) for α-V2O5 and the MgM2O4 spinels.
