A new design for the cathodes of magnesium batteries could offer a safer power source with higher storage capacity . More than that, magnesium ions produced in that way move extremely slowly in the host. The design rejects conventional ideas of breaking the magnesium - carbon bond , instead inserting magnesium ions into a carbon and keeping the bond intact . That increases storage capacity to 400 mAh / g , four times that of its predecessors , but still only provides one volt in comparison to the three to four V provided by lithium - ion batteries . Unlike traditional lithium - ion batteries , magnesium batteries are not flammable or subject to exploding .
A new design for the cathodes of magnesium batteries could offer a safer power source with higher storage capacity . The design rejects conventional ideas of breaking the magnesium - carbon bond , instead inserting magnesium ions into a carbon and keeping the bond intact . That increases storage capacity to 400 mAh / g , four times that of its predecessors , but still only provides one volt in comparison to the three to four V provided by lithium - ion batteries . Unlike traditional lithium - ion batteries , magnesium batteries are not flammable or subject to exploding .