High performance, low-cost rechargeable aluminum ion battery using Nb2CTx-MoS2 composite cathode

Aluminum-ion batteries are among the promising low-cost researchable batteries with huge potential, due to their three-electron redox process, high theoretical capacity, and better safety compared to lithium-ion batteries. However, the reported capacity and cyclic stability still fall short of their theoretical values. This could be due to cathodic degradation, lattice distortion of working material, and anodic corrosion. To address these issues, Nb2CTx-MoS2 composite cathodes were fabricated using Nb2CTx synthesized using the (HF-Free) green method and were further modified with MoS2 by hydrothermal process. Pouch cell (2 × 2 inches) was assembled employing Nb2CTx-MoS2 composite as a cathode and aluminum film (0.01 mm) as an anode in AlCl3/[BMIm]Cl (1.5) ionic liquid electrolyte. The modified cathode showed a specific capacity of ~350 mAh/g at a current density of 100 mA/g. The cell was able to retain nearly 98% of its coulombic efficiency after 500 cycles.