Among various battery chemistries, Zn and Al batteries stand out due to their safety, availability, high volumetric capacity, ease of handling and recyclability. [1, 2] Compared to Li/Na battery chemistries, both Zn and Al batteries have been developed using aqueous/ionic liquid electrolytes which has shown relatively stable performance. [3, 4] However, challenges exist in tuning the electrolyte chemistries along with developing suitable cathodes due to multi-ion storage process. In the last couple of years, we have looked into the electrolyte and cathode chemistries for both batteries and have progressed in developing a stable battery system.

In this presentation, I will show the progress in both batteries which involves modification of aqueous electrolytes using ionic liquids/bio-ionic liquids which in-turn changes the electrochemical reactions at the cathode and anode. The addition of ionic liquids leads to dendrite-free metal deposition at the anode and improves the overall battery capacity. By tuning the electrolyte composition, we have improved both the capacity and stabilities of Zn and Al batteries.