Researchers at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering have investigated what happens to metal-based batteries while they sit unused. Two studies, published in Joule and Nature Communications, reveal why some batteries lose capacity during storage and offer possible ways to slow the damage. Scientists are exploring metals such as zinc, sodium and magnesium as possible alternatives to today’s lithium-ion batteries. In the Joule study, researchers compared batteries using lithium, sodium, aluminum and magnesium metal anodes. The second study focused on zinc batteries and identified another possible solution.