Magnesium ion battery should provide better performance than lithium ion

Scientists have developed a concept for a battery based on magnesium ions. These should replace the commonly used lithium ions and thus lead to more powerful batteries with a higher voltage. A prototype is being worked on.

The lithium ions in conventional batteries have a charge of +1, because the number of positively charged protons in the lithium nucleus is one more than the number of electrons in the cloud around the nucleus. With magnesium, however, the charge is +2. According to scientists at the University of Illinois at Chicago, this makes the material interesting for use in batteries, because it allows twice as many negatively charged electrons to move with it when it moves through the electrolyte.

Scientists at the University of Chicago have shown that they can integrate magnesium into a system with an anode and a cathode. The required chemical reactions function exactly as they should in a conventional battery, something that has not been possible for a long time. However, a complete battery based on magnesium ions has not yet been built, although scientists are working on it. First a prototype has to come out.

Ultimately, batteries based on magnesium ions should provide more capacity than is currently the case with lithium ions. Such batteries must also be able to withstand a higher voltage. More groups of scientists are working on magnesium-based batteries, but it is still unclear whether and when such technology can be used in practice. Car manufacturer Tesla, among others, has shown interest in magnesium batteries for electric cars.