Mg-based Materials Research Articles

The mechanisms and advances in magnesium-based materials protection against corrosion by the superhydrophobic coatings

Nowadays, magnesium alloys are considered as an alternative to many structural metals such as steel, cast iron, aluminum, and titanium, since they allow decreasing the weight of constructions, giving the strategy for reducing energy consumption. Besides, several thermomechanical parameters for magnesium alloys show to be notably more preferable for technology compared to aluminum alloys and steels. However, the serious problem for the operation of magnesium structures is low corrosion resistance. This review addresses recent research on the corrosion protection efficiency provided by the superhydrophobic coatings fabricated on the surface of Mg-based materials. The colloid-chemical mechanisms of protection by such coatings against both atmospheric and electrolyte corrosion are reviewed in detail jointly with the analysis of the durability of this kind of corrosion protection.

Hydrogen storage properties of MgH2 modified by efficient Co3V2O8 catalyst

Developing medium temperature hydrogen storage materials is important for the practical application of the Studies have demonstrated that V-based catalysts exhibit exceptional catalytic activity in the dehydrogenation of MgH2 at medium levels. However, the V-base catalysts primarily concentrates on hydrogen desorption, and there is a necessity for further enhancement of hydrogen absorption properties. To solve this problem, herein we prepared a bimetallic oxide. Co can enhance the hydrogen absorption and desorption properties of MgH2 as the catalyst and it influences the performance of hydrogen absorption more obviously than the hydrogen desorption performance. It is found that MgH2 catalyzed by Co3V2O8 can absorb 1.31 wt% hydrogen within 30 min even under room temperature and can release 3.41 wt% hydrogen within 120 min at temperatures as low as 225 °C. The activation energy of MgH2-6 wt.%Co3V2O8 is determined to 68.5 kJ/mol, which is 50.2 % lower than that of Ball-MgH2. XRD combined with TEM measurements revealed that the in-situ formed Co and V2O3 can weaken the HH and MgH bonds respectively to improve the hydrogen storage properties of MgH2. These discoveries provide guideline of the further design of high efficiency catalysts for Mg-based hydrogen storage materials.

Functionalized magnesium alloys obtained by superplastic forming process retain osteoinductive and antibacterial properties: An in-vitro study

ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the biocompatibility, osteogenic and antibacterial activity of biomedical devices based on Magnesium (Mg) Alloys manufactured by Superplastic Forming process (SPF) and subjected to Hydrothermal (HT) and Sol-Gel Treatment (Sol-Gel). MethodsMg-SPF devices subjected to Hydrothermal (Mg-SPF+HT) and Sol-Gel Treatment (Mg-SPF+Sol-Gel) were investigated. The biocompatibility of Mg-SPF+Sol-Gel and Mg-SPF+HT devices was observed by indirect and direct cytotoxicity assays, whereas the colonization of sample surfaces was assessed by confocal microscopy. qRT-PCR analysis and microbial growth curve analyses were employed to evaluate the osteogenic and antibacterial activity of both SPF-Mg treated devices, respectively. ResultsMg-SPF+HT and Mg-SPF+Sol-Gel showed a high degree of biocompatibility. Analysis of mRNA expression of osteogenic genes in cells cultured on Mg-treated devices revealed a significant upregulation of the expression levels of BMP2 and Runx-2. Furthermore, the bacterial growth in strains developed in contact with both the Mg-SPF+HT and Mg-SPF+Sol-Gel devices was lower than that observed in the control. SignificanceHydrothermal and Sol-Gel Treatments of Mg alloys obtained through the SPF process demonstrated bioactive, osteogenic and antibacterial activity, offering a promising alternative to conventional Mg-based devices. The obtained Mg-based materials may have the potential to enhance the tunability of temporary devices in maxillary reconstruction, eliminating the need for second surgeries, and ensuring a good bone reconstruction and a reduced implant failure rate due to bacterial infections.

Improved hydrogen storage kinetics of MgH2 using TiFe0.92Mn0.04Co0.04 with in-situ generated α-Fe as catalyst

While TiFe alloy has recently attracted attention as the efficient catalyst to enhance de/hydrogenation rates of Mg/MgH2, the difficulty of its activation characteristics has hindered further improvement of reaction kinetics. Herein, we report that the TiFe0.92Mn0.04Co0.04 catalyst can overcome the abovementioned challenges. The synthesized MgH2-30 wt% TiFe0.92Mn0.04Co0.04 can release 4.5 wt% of hydrogen in 16 min at 250 °C, three times as fast as MgH2. The activation energy of dehydrogenation was as low as 84.6 kJ mol−1, which is 46.8% reduced from pure MgH2. No clear degradation of reaction rates and hydrogen storage capacity was observed for at least 30 cycles. Structural studies reveal that TiFe0.92Mn0.04Co0.04 partially decomposes to in-situ generated α-Fe particles dispersed on TiFe0.92Mn0.04Co0.04. The presence of α-Fe reduces the formation of an oxide layer on TiFe0.92Mn0.04Co0.04, enabling the activation processes. At the same time, the hydrogen incorporation capabilities of TiFe0.92Mn0.04Co0.04 can provide more hydrogen diffusion paths, which promote hydrogen dissociation and diffusion. These discoveries demonstrate the advanced nature and importance of combining the in-situ generated α-Fe with TiFe0.92Mn0.04Co0.04. It provides a new strategy for designing highly efficient and stable catalysts for Mg-based hydrogen storage materials.

Self-Assembled Multilayered Coatings with Multiple Cyclic Self-Healing Capability, Bacteria Killing, Osteogenesis, and Angiogenesis Properties on Magnesium Alloys.

Self-healing coatings improve the durability of magnesium (Mg) implants, but rapid corrosion still poses a challenge in the healing stage. Moreover, Mg-based materials with acceptable bacteria killing, osteogenic and angiogenic properties are challenging in biomedical applications. Herein, the self-healing polymeric coatings are fabricated on Mg alloys using the spin-assisted layer-by-layer (SLbL) assembly of hyaluronic acid (HA) and branched polyethyleneimine (bPEI) followed by chemical crosslinking treatment. The self-healing coatings show excellent adhesion strength and structure stability. The corrosion resistance is improved due to the physical barrier of polymer coatings, which also promotes the formation of hydroxyapatite (HAp) during degradation for further protection of Mg substrate. Owing to the dynamic reversible hydrogen bonds existing between HA and bPEI, the crosslinked multilayered coatings possess fast, substantial, and cyclic self-healing capabilities leading to restoration of the original structure and functions. Invitro investigations reveal that the self-healing coatings have multiple functionalities pertaining to bacteria killing, cytocompatibility, osteogenesis, as well as angiogenesis. In addition, the self-healing coatings stimulate alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP), extracellular matrix (ECM) mineralization, and the expression of osteogenesis-related genes of mBMSCs and HUVECs. This study reveals a feasible strategy to design and prepare versatile self-healing coatings on Mg implants for biomedical applications.

Enhanced generation of hydrogen through hydrolysis of biochar-coupled magnesium: Analysis of the performance of biochar-support and the effect of metallic coating on biochar

Hydrolysis is regarded as a safe, efficient and adorable approach to generate hydrogen (H2) from magnesium (Mg) or Mg-based materials. In this work, biochar (BC) and ferric oxide (Fe2O3) coated biochar (magnetic biochar: MBC) were synthesized and applied along with Mg as catalysts for an enhanced H2 generation. The Mg-Xwt%Y (X = 1.0, 3.0, 5.0, 10.0, 15.0 and Y = BC, MBC) composites were prepared via ball milling and employed to investigate their hydrolysis performance through kinetics in seawater. Among employed dosages, 10.0 wt% contents exhibited the best hydrolysis performance. Mg-10.0 wt%BC and Mg-10.0 wt%MBC composites after 1 h ball milling generated 820.03 and 828.02 mL/g (conversion yields of 89.03% and 89.99%) H2 in 40 and 10 min, respectively. Further, 10.0 wt% of BC and MBC decreased the hydrolysis kinetic energy of Mg from 63.9 to 41.07 and 17.16 kJ/mol, respectively. MBC has better catalytic effects for Mg hydrolysis compared with those by BC could be due to relatively more functional groups, providing more channels for water molecules to interact with Mg resulting in subsequent enhanced hydrolysis. Hence, MBC increased the reactivity and galvanic corrosion of Mg as well as prevented the formation of passive layer of magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2) on fresh surface of Mg. The performance of MBC-supported Mg in hydrolysis process is anticipated to be essential for the creation of environmentally-friendly portable H2 generators, the use of clean generation of H2 energy and the reduction of environmentally adverse emissions.

Highly air-stable magnesium hydrides encapsulated by nitrogen-doped graphene nanospheres with favorable hydrogen storage kinetics

Severe surface oxidation and sluggish kinetic rates of Mg hydrides (MGHs) are the main bottlenecks for their industrial applications. Herein, we present a strategy to simultaneously tackle these problems. The nano-size MGHs were encapsulated in nitrogen-doped graphene nanospheres (NGNSs) via a facile wet-chemical method. This configuration not only prevented the MGHs from oxidation when exposed to air even after a long duration, but also stimulated faster kinetic rates of hydrogen absorption and desorption owing to the nano-size effect of MGHs and the unique electronic structure of NGNSs. As a result, MGHs of ca. 20 nm were coated by a few layered NGNSs to form MGH@NGNSs nanocomposite. A high hydrogen absorption capacity of 6.5 wt% was achieved at 200 °C within 0.4 h, with a releasing hydrogen capacity of 5.5 wt% at 300 °C within 0.5 h, indicating that this composite has obtained remarkably hydrogen storage performance. Density Functional Theory (DFT) based calculations suggested that the hydrogen adsorption/desorption kinetics were significantly fast at the interface of Mg surface and NGNSs with pyridinic configuration. This strategy paves a way for the development of high-performance Mg-based hydrogen storage materials for industrial applications.

Enhancing Multiple Properties of a Multicomponent Mg-Based Alloy Using a Sinterless Turning-Induced Deformation Technique

A magnesium-based multi-component alloy (MCA), Mg70Al18Zn6Ca4Y2, was successfully synthesized using the Turning-Induced Deformation (TID) method, with promising improvements in multiple properties such as damping capabilities, hardness (11% to 34% increase), and strength (5% to 15% increase) over its conventional cast and extruded equivalent which has already been established as a high-performance MCA exhibiting superior mechanical properties over other Mg-based materials while retaining acceptable ductility. This new TID-based MCA comes only at a slight compromise in the aspects of ductility, ignition resistance, and corrosion resistance, which was previously observed in other TID-based materials. In addition, the general microstructure and secondary phases of this MCA were retained even when using the TID method, with only minimal porosity (<1%) incurred during the process. Furthermore, the ignition temperature of the TID Mg70Al18Zn6Ca4Y2 remained very high at 915 °C, positioning it as a potential Mg-based material suitable for aerospace applications with a high ignition resistance. This is tantamount to a successful application of TID to yet another class of Mg-based materials and opening the door to future explorations of such materials.

Preparation of Mg-Mg2Ni/C composite and its excellent hydrogen storage properties

Magnesium hydride (MgH2) is a promising hydrogen storage material with high weight and volume hydrogen capacity. However, higher operating temperature and reversible hydrogen capacity decay inhibit its wide application. To address these issues, Mg-Mg2Ni/C was obtained by ball milling magnesium and nickel-Metal Organic Framework (Ni-MOF), and following calcinations. Initial dehydrogenation temperature of the composite is 530 K, 70 K lower than that of MgH2, and the apparent activation energy of the composite is 77.6 ± 2.1 kJ/mol, which is only 50% of MgH2. At 423 K, the hydrogen capacity of the composite is about 6 wt% within 3600 s, and keeps unchanged after ten cycles. The carbon material introduced by Ni-MOF inhibits the agglomeration of Mg, and Mg2Ni/Mg2NiH4 acts as a “hydrogen pump” in de/hydrogenation process. The carbon coating and “hydrogen pump” lead to the improvement of the ab/desorption kinetics and cycling stability. This attempt paves a potential way to achieve high performance Mg-based composite hydrogen storage materials.

Hydrogen desorption kinetics of magnesium hydride co-doped with titanium trifluoride and nickelocene

MgH2 is a promising hydrogen storage material and its hydrogen desorption kinetics can be enhanced by introducing catalysts. To deeply understand synergetic effect of multiple phases on hydrogen desorption of MgH2, the formation mechanism of catalytic phases and their effect on hydrogen storage properties were studied in a MgH2 - 5 wt% TiF3 - 15 wt% NiCp2 composite. The experimental results demonstrate that the nano-sized Mg2NiH4, TiH2 and MgF2 phases can be formed in situ after sample preparation and activation. The in situ formed phases provide a synergetic effect on hydrogen absorption and desorption during subsequent cycling, leading to the significant enhancement of hydrogen desorption kinetics and cycle durability. This work provides guidance for the design and preparation of novel Mg-based materials with excellent hydrogen storage properties.

The anionic Tx defects of Nb2CTx MXene as the effective catalytically active center for the Mg-based hydrogen storage materials

While early transition metal-based materials, such as MXene, has emerged as an efficient catalyst for the Mg-based hydrogen storage materials, their strong interaction with hydrogen resulted in the high hydrogen diffusion barrier, hindering further improvement of catalytic activity. A MXene is characterized by rich anionic groups on its surface, significantly affecting electronic and catalytic functionalities. Using Nb2CTx as an example, we herein illustrate the critical role of anionic Tx defects on controlling hydrogen dissociation and diffusion processes in Mg-based hydrogen storage materials. The hydrogen desorption properties of MgH2 can be significantly enhanced by utilizing Tx controllable Nb2CTx, and it can release 3.57 wt.% hydrogen within 10 min under 240 °C with the reduced dehydrogenation activation barrier. It also realized stable de/hydrogenation reactions for at least 50 cycles. DFT studies combined with kinetic analysis revealed that the catalyst‒hydrogen interaction could be systematically controlled by optimizing surface Tx defect density, accelerating the hydrogen dissociation and diffusion processes at the same time. These results demonstrate that the Tx defects serve as the effective catalytically active centers of Nb2CTx, offering a flexible catalyst design guideline.

Superior hydrogen storage kinetics of MgH2 by in-situ generated α-Fe from the Fe-zeolitic imidazolate framework

While MgH2 is one of the promising hydrogen storage materials, its poor de/hydrogenation kinetics have hindered its potential applications. Here, we report that kinetic and cycle properties can be improved using Fe-doped zeolitic imidazolate framework (Fe-ZIF) as the catalysts. The synthesized MgH2@5 wt.% Fe-ZIF can absorb 5.0 wt.% hydrogen in 1 min at 200 °C and desorb 5.0 wt.% hydrogen within 16 min at 300 °C. No clear degradation of catalytic effects was observed over 30 cycles. Structural analysis revealed that the Fe-ZIF gradually decomposed into α-Fe, which strongly interacts with MgH2, realizing much higher catalytic activity and stability. Furthermore, the Fe-ZIF is characterized by a simple process and low cost nature, posing the metal-ZIF composite as a promising platform to disperse nano-catalysts in Mg-based hydrogen storage materials.

Enhanced hydrogen storage properties of MgH2 with the co-addition of LiBH4 and YNi5 alloy

MgH2, as one of the typical solid-state hydrogen storage materials, has attracted extensive attention. However, the slow kinetics and poor cycle stability limit its application. In this work, LiBH4 and YNi5 alloy were co-added as additives to MgH2 via ball milling, thereby realizing an excellent dehydrogenation performance and good cycle stability at 300 °C. The MgH2-0.04LiBH4-0.01YNi5 composite can release 7 wt.% of hydrogen in around 10 min at 300 °C and still have a reversible hydrogen storage capacity of 6.42 wt.% after 110 cycles, with a capacity retention rate as high as 90.3 % based on the second dehydrogenation capacity. The FTIR results show that LiBH4 can reversibly absorb and desorb hydrogen throughout the hydrogen ab/desorption process, which contributes a portion of the reversible hydrogen storage capacity to the MgH2-0.04LiBH4-0.01YNi5 composite. Due to the small amount of LiBH4 and YNi5, the dehydrogenation activation energy of MgH2 did not decrease significantly, nor did the dehydrogenation enthalpy (∆H) change. However, the MgNi3B2 and in-situ formed YH3 during the hydrogen absorption/desorption cycles is not only beneficial to the improvement of the kinetics performance for MgH2 but also improves its cycle stability. This work provides a straightforward method for developing high reversible hydrogen capacity on Mg-based hydrogen storage materials with moderate kinetic performance.

Synergetic catalysis of Ni@C@CeO2 for driving ab/desorption of MgH2 at moderate temperature

Multiple catalysts have exhibited high activity on improving the hydrogen storage performance of MgH2. Herein, the hydrogen ab/desorption kinetics of MgH2 is significantly improved by using Ni@C@CeO2 as the catalyst. The results show that 10 wt%-Ni@C@CeO2 doped MgH2 can absorb 4.51 wt% hydrogen within 60 min under low temperature 75 °C. Furthermore, the MgH2-Ni@C@CeO2 composites release approximately 4.88 wt% H2 within 10 min at 325 °C. Moreover, the composites show excellent cycling performance, with negligible decrease in hydrogen storage capacity, hydrogen uptake rate and hydrogen release rate after ten cycles at 350 °C. The Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction and transmittance electron microscopy measurements reveal that Mg2NiH4/Mg2Ni and CeH2.73 phases are in-situ formed. The mutual conversion of “Mg2Ni/Mg2NiH4” during hydrogen ab/desorption is a well-known “hydrogen pump” effect, which improvs the hydrogen storage performance of MgH2. The presence of CeH2.73 accelerate the conversion of Mg2Ni/Mg2NiH4, which we call ‘facilitated hydrogen pump’ effect. This attempt paves a potential way to achieve high performance Mg-based composites hydrogen storage materials via collaborative action between Ni and Ce species.

Non-stationarity in electrochemical impedance measurement of Mg-based materials in aqueous media

For most bare Mg-based materials in aqueous media, an inductive behavior can be detected at the low frequencies electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (LF-EIS) measurement, which potentially can be associated with the non-stationarity of the system. The non-stationarity in EIS measurement leads to inaccurate acquisition of experimental data and, thus, misunderstanding of the electrochemical behavior of tested samples. To investigate the non-stationarity of EIS measurements on Mg-based materials in aqueous media, conventional EIS measurements are performed on pure Mg and several representative Mg alloys (AZ31, AZ91, AM50) in NaCl and Na2SO4 solutions. The results indicate that the impedance spectra of Mg-based materials in aqueous media is influenced by the internal non-stationarity of the Mg-electrolyte system and the external non-stationarity induced by EIS measurement. Multisine odd random phase EIS (ORP-EIS) measurements were performed to visualize the non-stationarity and non-linearity of the system. Moreover, the comparison of conventional and ORP-EIS results exhibits the difference between pseudo and real inductive behavior for the AZ31-NaCl system. Accordingly, the origin of the inductive behavior of Mg-based materials is discussed.

Simultaneously enhancing the strength and ductility of as-extruded AlN/AZ91 composites via nano-precipitation and pyramidal slip

Age hardening is often used to optimize the mechanical properties of as-deformed Mg-based materials in industry, whereas the improvement of strength is usually accompanied by the significant loss of ductility, which hinders the application of Mg-based materials in structural components. In the present work, high strength-ductility synergy (the yield strength of 263 ± 9 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of 398 ± 7 MPa and elongation to fracture of 34% ± 1%) was realized in as-extruded AlN/AZ91 composites after optimizing aging processes. Microstructural characterization shows that AlN particles induced a large number of geometrically necessary dislocations around the AlN/Mg interface during extrusion, which decreased the nucleation barrier and provided more heterogeneous nucleation sites for γ-Mg17Al12 continuous precipitation. Meanwhile, 95% of residual dislocations in as-extruded AlN/AZ91 composites were annihilated during peak-aging, suppressing the growth and coarsening of continuous precipitates. Therefore, high density of nano-sized γ-Mg17Al12 continuous precipitates was produced in as-extruded AlN/AZ91 composites after peak-aging. During tension, gliding dislocations bypassed spherical γ-Mg17Al12 nano-precipitates by Orowan looping rather than cutting mechanism, which induced a strong block on dislocation motion. So high yield strength was mainly attributed to the high density of non-shearable γ-Mg17Al12 nano-precipitates with spherical morphology, which was different from other Mg-Al-based systems. The results of texture evolution and slip trace analysis demonstrated that the suppression of extension twinning and less basal slip was due to the enhanced activity of pyramidal 〈c + a〉 slip in as-extruded AlN/AZ91 composites after peak-aging during the room temperature tension, meanwhile, the dislocation density of as-extruded AlN/AZ91 composites was significantly decreased during peak-aging, then higher elongation to fracture was achieved.

A novel oxidation-resistible Mg@Ni foam material for safe, efficient, and controllable hydrogen generation

As a promising in-situ hydrogen generation material, magnesium (Mg) has been seeking a promotion in its hydrogen generation property. Increasing the specific surface area, for example, replacing the Mg bulk using Mg powder, can greatly increase the hydrogen generation property, but it brings a high explosion risk, a difficulty in controlling the hydrogen generation, and an oxidation problem. In this work, we prepare a novel Mg@Ni foam material with Mg deposits on Ni foam by a physical vapor deposition method. The Ni foam not only increases the hydrolysis reaction areas of Mg by improving its specific surface area, but also kinetically accelerates the hydrolysis reaction rate of Mg by forming a uniform Mg-Ni galvanic cell. As a result, the Mg@Ni foam material realizes a near-theoretical hydrogen generation amount of Mg and a hydrogen generation rate significantly higher than those realized by the bulk Mg-based materials. The Mg@Ni foam material with the excellent hydrogen generation property is also free from explosion risk, easy to be controlled, and resistible to oxidation. A hydrogen fuel cell powered by the hydrogen generated by the Mg@Ni foam material can yield a steady voltage and run a small car for a long distance.

Promoted hydrogen storage properties of MgH2 by Ti3+ self-doped defect-mediated TiO2

Magnesium hydride (MgH2) has been expected as a promising solid material for efficiently storing hydrogen, but its practical applications have been impeded by stable thermodynamics and slow hydrogen desorption kinetics. In this study, we synthesized Ti3+ self-doped 3D TiO2 hollow nano-boxes (Ti3+@TiO2) through a facile hydrothermal reaction and investigated their influence on the hydrogen storage properties of MgH2. The abundant oxygen vacancies of Ti3+@TiO2 and the in-situ formed multivalent state of Ti-containing species during the de/re-hydrogenation process resulted in an excellent catalytic effect on the hydrogen storage properties of MgH2. The BM-MgH2-Ti3+@TiO2-5 composite exhibited a low initial hydrogen desorption temperature of 205.4 °C, 49.2% reduction compared to pristine MgH2. The BM-MgH2-Ti3+@TiO2-5 composite could release 6.1 wt% of hydrogen at 325 °C within 20 min, and the activation energy (Ea) of dehydrogenation was decreased significantly to 57.2 ± 1.4 kJ/mol, achieving superior hydrogen desorption kinetics. In addition, this composite also demonstrated remarkable cycling stability, with hydrogen capacity retention of 93.7% after 10 consecutive de-/rehydrogenated cycles at 325 °C. Our findings provide a new horizon for designing highly active catalysts for promoting the hydrogen storage properties of Mg-based materials.

Magnesium-Based Temporary Implants: Potential, Current Status, Applications, and Challenges

Biomedical implants are important devices used for the repair or replacement of damaged or diseased tissues or organs. The success of implantation depends on various factors, such as mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and biodegradability of the materials used. Recently, magnesium (Mg)-based materials have emerged as a promising class of temporary implants due to their remarkable properties, such as strength, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and bioactivity. This review article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of current research works summarizing the above-mentioned properties of Mg-based materials for use as temporary implants. The key findings from in-vitro, in-vivo, and clinical trials are also discussed. Further, the potential applications of Mg-based implants and the applicable fabrication methods are also reviewed.

Surface Modifications of Magnesium-Based Materials for Hydrogen Storage and Nickel–Metal Hydride Batteries: A Review

Whether it is fossil energy or renewable energy, the storage, efficient use, and multi-application of energy largely depend on the research and preparation of high-performance materials. The research and development of energy storage materials with a high capacity, long cycle life, high safety, and high cleanability will improve the properties of energy storage systems and promote their wide application. In recent years, Mg-based materials, from a comprehensive consideration of energy storage performance, raw material reserves, and prices, have demonstrated potential industrial applications as large-scale hydrogen storage materials. Nevertheless, Mg-based materials also have obvious disadvantages: as a hydrogen storage material, the hydrogen absorption/desorption rate is insufficient, as well as the high hydrogen absorption/desorption temperatures; as the electrode material of Ni-MH batteries, the reactions of Mg with alkaline electrolyte and corrosion are the main problems for applications. This article reviews different surface treatment methods and mechanisms for surface modifications of Mg-based materials for hydrogen storage and Ni-MH battery applications, as well as the performance of the materials after surface modifications. Multiple experimental studies have shown that the surface layer or state of Mg-based materials has a strong impact on their performance. Surface modification treatment can greatly improve the energy storage performance of magnesium-based materials for hydrogen storage and Ni-MH battery applications. Specifically, Mg-based materials can have a lower hydrogen absorption/desorption temperature and a faster hydrogen absorption/desorption rate when used as hydrogen storage materials and can improve the corrosion resistance, initial discharge capacity, and cycling stability in alkaline solutions when used as negative electrode materials for Ni-MH batteries. By offering an overview of the surface modification methods for Mg-based materials in two energy storage fields, this article can improve researchers’ understanding of the surface modification mechanism of Mg-based materials and contribute to improving material properties in a more targeted manner. While improving the material properties, the material’s preparation and surface modification treatment process are considered comprehensively to promote the development, production, and application of high-performance Mg-based materials.