A novel NiCl2-based cathode material for high-voltage thermal battery

NiCl2 is regarded as an ideal cathode material for high-voltage thermal battery. However, the difficulty of preparation and low inherent conductivity have become the major challenge to hinder practical application of NiCl2 material. Herein, the reduced NiCl2 with Ni as conductive agent has been developed via a facile hydrogen reduction. When served as cathode for thermal battery, the NiCl2-based composite exhibits high peak voltage of 2.51 V and short activation time of 0.67 s, accompanying with superior pulse discharge capacity. This work provides a promising alternative for high-voltage cathode and is beneficial to guide the further application of NiCl2 materials.