Magnesium insertion electrodes for rechargeable nonaqueous batteries -: a competitive alternative to lithium?

Magnesium-based rechargeable batteries might be an interesting future alternative to lithium-based batteries. Here the available results of research, both on rechargeable negative electrodes based either on metallic magnesium or alternative materials, and on materials suitable as positive, magnesium-inserting (counter)electrodes for secondary magnesium batteries, are critically reviewed. The reversible magnesium-metal electrode was scarcely investigated and remains poorly understood. More data are available on host materials capable of reversible magnesium insertion, which are compared with lithium-inserting materials. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.