Everlasting energisers
though battery technology has come a long way in the last few decades, getting safe, reliable, ecofriendly and cheap rechargeable batteries have still not been developed. Lithium batteries used in portable electronic devices are expensive. They also do not last very long and could be a fire hazard. The lead-acid batteries used in automobiles are corrosive and use lead that poses a pollution problem.
Now, chemists at the Ba-Ilan University, Israel, have developed a rechargeable battery based on magnesium that could provide a viable alternative to the other technologies.
Magnesium has long been one of the elements of choice for battery technologists. It could provide more power for the same size than comparable lead acid batteries or nickel batteries. It is also cheap, readily available and safe to handle and dispose. Indeed, magnesium has been used in ordinary batteries for a long time, especially in batteries that are used for specialised purposes. In these, there is a magnesium anode and other chemicals which act as the cathode and the electrolyte