Magnesium could offer a sustainable and affordable alternative to lithium in batteries, according to research led by the University of Strathclyde.

Funded by the Faraday Institution, the study is exploring suitable electrolytes, which connect electrodes to each other and allow current to flow, for use in rechargeable, high energy density batteries.

These electrolytes will be capable of supporting efficient and repeatable transfer of magnesium between the batteries’ electrodes and will have high stability to withstand the operating conditions of the battery.

Electrolytes will be tested for electrochemical performance against existing cathode materials and analysed for their performance and stability.

The one-year study has received seed funding of £114,641 from the institution and involves the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and the University of Sheffield.

Commenting on the research, Dr Stuart Robertson, a Senior Lecturer in Strathclyde’s Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, and research lead, said: “We are going through a period of massive battery demand, with governments setting targets for electric vehicles and increasing demand for off-grid storage, to store renewable energy for times when there is no wind or sun.

“Lithium is used extensively in batteries, but it is not in great natural abundance and tends not to be recycled from spent batteries. Batteries in electric vehicles also need to be much larger than those in a phone or a laptop. Magnesium offers a natural alternative because it is much more abundant, is easier to obtain, and has competitive performance levels.

“We have been encouraged by the performance of magnesium in experiments we have carried out so far. At Strathclyde, we are a team of synthetic chemists and, with this grant from the Faraday Institution, we will be working on the design, synthesis, and testing of electrolytes along with electrochemists at the University of Sheffield and NPL.”

Faraday Institution CEO Professor Pam Thomas added: “These novel projects are in areas of application-inspired research that continue to strengthen the UK’s position in electrochemical energy storage and ultimately contribute to making UK industry more competitive.”

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Battery technology has seen a series of advances towards more sustainable alternatives over the last few years, something of particular importance as our demand for them increase and the need to solve the climate crisis becomes vital.

In October last year, researchers discovered that a wood-derived battery material has the potential to replace liquid electrolytes in next-generation batteries.

Scientists, focusing on the replacement of liquids commonly used in today’s lithium-ion batteries with solid materials, said that batteries built using this material could deliver a power boost whilst operating more safely.

DNA bio-battery tech researched in March this year could provide a safer, greener solution to power generation and has potential applications across society, scientists have said.

Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) researchers working on the tech say it could “change the world and change the way we do things”.

The pioneering tech has applications in society and the military, and could allow for a safe alternative to current, chemical-based versions.

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