Looking Beyond Lithium for Breakthroughs in Magnesium-Ion Batteries as Sustainable Solutions

Idowu O. Malachi (), Adebukola O. Olawumi, Samuel O. Afolabi and B. I. Oladapo
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Idowu O. Malachi: New Brunswick Community College, Moncton Campus, Moncton, NB E1C 8H9, Canada
Adebukola O. Olawumi: Department of Agriculture Sustainability, University of Ibadan, Ibadan 200001, Nigeria
Samuel O. Afolabi: Department of Engineering, DN Colleges Group, Doncaster DN1 2RF, UK
B. I. Oladapo: School of Engineering and Sustainable Development, De Montfort University, Leicester LE1 9BH, UK

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 9, 1-22

Abstract: The increasing demand for sustainable and cost-effective battery technologies in electric vehicles (EVs) has driven research into alternatives to lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. This study investigates magnesium-ion (Mg-ion) batteries as a potential solution, focusing on their energy density, cycle stability, safety, and scalability. The research employs a comprehensive methodology, combining electrochemical testing and simulation models, to analyse magnesium-based anodes, sulphur-based cathodes, and advanced electrolytes such as HMDS 2 Mg. Key findings reveal that Mg-ion batteries achieve a practical energy density of 500–1000 mAh/g, comparable to high-performance Li-ion systems. With sulphur–graphene cathodes, Mg-ion batteries demonstrated 92% capacity retention after 500 cycles, a 10% improvement over standard configurations. Ionic conductivity reached 1.2 × 10 −2 S/cm using HMDS 2 Mg electrolytes, significantly reducing passivation layer growth to 5 nm after 100 cycles, outperforming Grignard-based systems by 30%. However, the research identified a 15% reduction in charge–discharge efficiency compared to Li-ion batteries due to slower ion diffusion kinetics. This study highlights the safety advantage of magnesium-ion batteries, which eliminate dendrite formation and reduce thermal runaway risks by 40%. These findings position Mg-ion batteries as a promising, sustainable alternative for EVs, emphasising the need for further optimisation in scalability and efficiency.

Keywords: magnesium-ion batteries; sustainable energy storage; electric vehicle batteries; sulphur-based cathodes; ionic conductivity; battery cycle stability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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