Atomic-Level Tailoring Lithium-Intercalation Hosts for Stable Rechargeable Magnesium Ion Cathodes

Batteries based on multivalent metal cations, such as rechargeable magnesium batteries, are promising for the pursuit of ultra-high-density energy storage which will deliver over four times higher volumetric energy densities than those of state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries. Since multivalent cations are typically highly polarizing, they form large complex ions with solvent molecules and have strong electronic interaction with intercalation host materials, leading to inferior electrode performance. In this presentation, I will present a general method of tailoring established lithium-intercalation hosts for magnesium cations. By combining theoretical modeling, chemical engineering, and electrochemical characterization, we demonstrated that the ion intercalation and diffusion kinetics could be effectively improved by atomic-level manipulation of intercalation materials. This strategy enables a family of electrode materials for intercalation of multivalent cations, which are previously perceived as not suitable for such a purpose.