Green, cheap and rechargeable Al–N₂ battery with efficient N₂ fixation

Excerpt

Battery technologies have obtained great attention due to their wide-ranging applications in present and emerging fields [1, 2], and great progress in exploring novel battery technologies has been achieved [3, 4]. However, there is still huge room to develop new kinds of battery technologies with the appearance of new materials, technologies and ideas [5]. Compared with some metal (e.g., Li, Na, K, Mg, Zn)-based batteries, Al-based batteries have more advantages in cost and safety [6]. In addition, some emerging metal-CO₂ or N₂ batteries with gas cathodes can not only provide energy storage, but also converse CO₂ into liquid fuels, or N₂ into NH₃ to replace the energy-intensive Haber–Bosch process [7]. Although some progresses in metal-gas batteries (Li–CO₂ battery, Na–CO₂ battery, K–CO₂ battery, Li–N₂ battery, Na–N₂ battery) have been made [8, 9], low-cost Al–N₂ battery has rarely been reported. Recently, one attractive paper published in Energy & Environmental Science reported a rechargeable Al–N₂ battery with efficient N₂ fixation [10]. This kind of batteries has two obvious advantages: low-cost energy storage and artificial N₂ fixation. …