Publication date: 21st July 2025
The energy density of state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries is approaching its theoretical limits, prompting the search for alternative energy storage systems. Multivalent batteries based on magnesium and calcium offer a compelling pathway forward due to the high volumetric and gravimetric capacities of Mg and Ca metal anodes, their low redox potentials (–2.37 V and –2.87 V vs. SHE, respectively), and their natural abundance. A major bottleneck for both technologies is the development of electrolytes that support efficient, reversible metal plating/stripping while remaining electrochemically stable and compatible with cathode hosts.
Our recent work has focused on the development of Mg and Ca electrolytes based on fluorinated alkoxyborate and alkoxyaluminate salts. We investigated different synthesis approaches, variation of the fluorinated alkoxy ligand (using alternatives to the widely employed hexafluoroisopropoxy - hfip), as well as the substitution of the central atom (boron vs. aluminum). The electrolytes were systematically characterized in terms of their physicochemical properties, electrochemical performance, and oxidative stability.
In the case of Ca, where a relatively low redox potential and high reactivity of the metal surface increase the risk of electrode passivation, we further investigated the effects of solvent purity and other factors influencing the reversibility of Ca plating/stripping, including substrate selection and its impact on nucleation and deposition behavior.
Our work provides an overview of the design principles, performance metrics, and practical considerations for advancing alkoxyborate/aluminate-based electrolytes, highlighting their potential for use in next-generation multivalent battery technologies.
nanoGe is a prestigious brand of successful science conferences that are developed along the year in different areas of the world since 2009. Our worldwide conferences cover cutting-edge materials topics like perovskite solar cells, photovoltaics, optoelectronics, solar fuel conversion, surface science, catalysis and two-dimensional materials, among many others.
Previously nanoGe Spring Meeting (NSM) and nanoGe Fall Meeting (NFM), MATSUS is a multiple symposia conference focused on a broad set of topics of advanced materials preparation, their fundamental properties, and their applications, in fields such as renewable energy, photovoltaics, lighting, semiconductor quantum dots, 2-D materials synthesis, charge carriers dynamics, microscopy and spectroscopy semiconductors fundamentals, etc.
International Conference on Hybrid and Organic Photovoltaics
International Conference on Hybrid and Organic Photovoltaics (HOPV) is celebrated yearly in May. The main topics are the development, function and modeling of materials and devices for hybrid and organic solar cells. The field is now dominated by perovskite solar cells but also other hybrid technologies, as organic solar cells, quantum dot solar cells, and dye-sensitized solar cells and their integration into devices for photoelectrochemical solar fuel production.
Asia-Pacific International Conference on Perovskite, Organic Photovoltaics and Optoelectronics
The main topics of the Asia-Pacific International Conference on Perovskite, Organic Photovoltaics and Optoelectronics (IPEROP) are discussed every year in Asia-Pacific for gathering the recent advances in the fields of material preparation, modeling and fabrication of perovskite and hybrid and organic materials. Photovoltaic devices are analyzed from fundamental physics and materials properties to a broad set of applications. The conference also covers the developments of perovskite optoelectronics, including light-emitting diodes, lasers, optical devices, nanophotonics, nonlinear optical properties, colloidal nanostructures, photophysics and light-matter coupling.
The International Conference on Perovskite Thin Film Photovoltaics Perovskite Photonics and Optoelectronics (NIPHO) is the best place to hear the latest developments in perovskite solar cells as well as on recent advances in the fields of perovskite light-emitting diodes, lasers, optical devices, nanophotonics, nonlinear optical properties, colloidal nanostructures, photophysics and light-matter coupling.