Self-Powered Aluminium Batteries for Sustainable Water Treatment: Performance, Mechanisms, and Techno-Economic Assessment

Abstract

Based on the principles of green chemistry and circular economy, self-powered aluminium battery systems utilize the spontaneous oxidation of aluminium to simultaneously achieve water treatment and electricity generation, offering a new paradigm for sustainable water purification. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in such systems across electrocoagulation, desalination, in situ hydrogen peroxide generation, and integrated bioelectrochemical applications, with emphasis on performance, mechanisms, and techno-economic feasibility. The systems demonstrate high pollutant removal efficiencies and promising energy output, including arsenic removal up to 99.9%, phosphorus recovery of 98.5%, desalination capacity of 2.06 g·L-1, and in situ hydrogen peroxide generation reaching 127 mg·L-1. Mechanistically, aluminium oxidation provides electrons for current generation while producing Al3+ species that facilitate pollutant removal via coagulation and co-precipitation. Techno-economic analysis indicates that waste aluminium-driven systems achieve the lowest annual capital cost, highlighting the economic benefits of resource recovery. Despite these advantages, challenges remain, including electrode passivation, hydrogen evolution side reactions, and performance deterioration in high-salinity or high-turbidity conditions. These limitations can be mitigated through alloy design and surface engineering strategies. Overall, the self-powered aluminium battery system integrates waste resource utilization, energy output, and water treatment processes, demonstrating sustainable development potential in line with green chemistry principles.