CaB12H12: A promising salt for aprotic electrolytes in calcium-based secondary batteries

Calcium dodecaborate, CaB12H12, is introduced and successfully tested as a promising salt for aprotic electrolytes in calcium-based batteries. The synthesis protocol for this innovative salt is both cost-effective and scalable, paving the way for environmentally safe and efficient manufacturing. The salt was incorporated into novel aprotic electrolyte formulations aimed at improving the reversibility of calcium plating and stripping, addressing a key challenge in calcium battery technology. Among the various tested formulations, a 0.25 M solution of CaB12H12 in N-methyl pyrrolidone exhibits superior performance, enabling reversible calcium plating/stripping at room temperature with overpotentials below 0.5 V at a current density of 0.1 mAcm−2.