A rechargeable liquid metal-CO battery for energy storage and CO reduction to carbon

• Published in: Journal of materials chemistry. A, Materials for energy and sustainability Materials for energy and sustainability, 2024-02, Vol.12 (8), p.4441-4446
• Main Authors: Gabski, Jan, Sun, Xinhui, Iskhakova, Landysh, Dong, Junhang
• Format: Article
• ISSN: 2050-7488; 2050-7496
• DOI: 10.1039/d4ta00254g

A new type of high-temperature liquid gallium-CO 2 battery (LGaCB) is demonstrated to overcome the major limitations of slow reaction kinetics and inactive solid blockage of electrodes associated with the current solid metal-CO 2 batteries (MCBs). The LGaCB has exhibited power densities that are over an order of magnitude higher than the best of existing MCBs. The LGaCB operates by unique mechanisms enabled by CO 3 2− conduction through molten carbonate electrolyte and Ga self-catalyzed CO 2 reduction, which discharge Ga 2 O 3 nanoparticles (dia. ∼20 nm) and large chunks of carbon (>50 μm) in the liquid Ga (LGa). In the charging process, the Ga 2 O 3 nanoparticles dispersed in the LGa are reduced without significant reverse oxidation of carbon that leads to an overall carbon-negative effect. The first liquid gallium-CO 2 battery achieves unprecedented power density and carbon negative effect without precious metal catalysts.