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. 2023 Oct 14;14(10):1930.
doi: 10.3390/mi14101930.

Commercially Accessible High-Performance Aluminum-Air Battery Cathodes through Electrodeposition of Mn and Ni Species on Fuel Cell Cathodes

Paloma Almodóvar  1 , Belén Sotillo  2 , David Giraldo  1   3 , Joaquín Chacón  1 , Inmaculada Álvarez-Serrano  3 , María Luisa López  3
Affiliations

Commercially Accessible High-Performance Aluminum-Air Battery Cathodes through Electrodeposition of Mn and Ni Species on Fuel Cell Cathodes

Paloma Almodóvar et al. Micromachines (Basel). .

Abstract

This study presents a cost-effective method for producing high-performance cathodes for aluminum-air batteries. Commercial fuel cell cathodes are modified through electrodeposition of nickel and manganese species. The optimal conditions for electrodeposition are determined using a combination of structural (Raman, SEM, TEM) and electrochemical (LSV, EI, discharge curves) characterization techniques. The structural analysis confirms successful incorporation of nickel and manganese species onto the cathode surface. Electrochemical tests demonstrate enhanced electrochemical activity compared to unmodified cathodes. By combining the favorable properties of electrodeposited manganese species with nickel species, a high-performance cathode is obtained. The developed cathode exhibits capacities of 50 mA h cm-2 in aluminum-air batteries across a wide range of current densities. The electrodeposition method proves effective in improving electrochemical performance. A key advantage of this method is its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. The use of commercially available materials and well-established electrodeposition techniques allows for easy scalability and commercialization. This makes it a viable option for large-scale production of high-performance cathodes for the next-generation energy storage devices.

Keywords: Al-air; electrodeposition; metal-air batteries.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Images of the fuel cell cathodes electrodeposited at different currents and times in (a) a manganese nitrate solution with corresponding (b) V vs. t electrodeposition curves, and (c) a nickel nitrate solution with corresponding (d) V vs. t electrodeposition curves.
Figure 2
Figure 2
SEM images of commercial fuel cell cathodes electrodeposited in a manganese nitrate solution at different currents and times. Insets show high magnification images of the selected samples.
Figure 3
Figure 3
SEM images of commercial fuel cell cathodes electrodeposited in a nickel nitrate solution at different current densities and times. Insets show high magnification images of the selected samples.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Raman spectra of the different fuel cell electrodeposited in the manganese nitrate solution: (a) 20 mA 5 min (inset corresponds to the Raman spectra of the coral-like structures), (b) 20 mA, 10 min; (c) 30 mA, 2 min; (d) 50 mA, 1 min; and (e) 50 mA, 5 min.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Raman spectra of the different fuel cell electrodeposited in the nickel nitrate solution: (a) 20 mA, 5 min; (b) 20 mA, 10 min; (c) 30 mA, 2 min; (d) 50 mA, 1 min; and (e) 50 mA, 5 min. Ni(OH)2 signal is indicated by *.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Aluminium-air electrochemical measurements with the electrodeposited manganese nitrate cathodes: (a) LSV curves and (b) constant current discharge curves.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Aluminum-air electrochemical measurements with the electrodeposited nickel nitrate cathodes: (a) LSV curves and (b) constant current discharge curves.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Constant current discharge curves of the different concentrations in electrodeposited Ni:Mn cathodes.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Ni:Mn (3:2) discharge curves at different constant currents: 30 mA (green), 20 mA (red), 10 mA (black), and 5 mA (blue).
Figure 10
Figure 10
(a) SEM images and (b) Raman spectra of the Ni:Mn (3:2) electrode.
Figure 11
Figure 11
HRTEM images for the Ni:Mn sample at (a) low magnification (inset shows the corresponding ED pattern); (b,c) gathered images corresponding to regions labelled as I and II in image (a), respectively; and at (d) high magnification.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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