The aqueous electrolyte contains an aqueous solvent and an electrolyte salt. The aqueous electrolyte may be a liquid. A liquid aqueous electrolyte is prepared by dissolving the electrolyte salt serving as a solute in the aqueous solvent.
As the electrolyte salt, for example, a lithium salt, a sodium salt, or a mixture thereof can be used. As the lithium salt or sodium salt, the same salt that can be contained in the solid electrolyte layer can be used. As the lithium salt, LiCl is preferably contained. When LiCl is used, the lithium ion concentration of the aqueous electrolyte can be made high. Additionally, the lithium salt preferably contains at least one of LiSO4 and LiOH in addition to LiCl.
The mol concentration of lithium ions in the aqueous electrolyte is preferably 3 mol/L or more, more preferably 6 mol/L or more, and much more preferably 12 mol/L or more. When the concentration of the lithium ions in the aqueous electrolyte is high, electrolysis of the aqueous solvent in the negative electrode can easily be suppressed, and hydrogen generation from the negative electrode tends to be little.
In the aqueous electrolyte, the aqueous solvent amount is preferably 1 mol or more relative to 1 mol of the salt serving as a solute. In a more preferable form, the aqueous solvent amount relative to 1 mol of the salt serving as a solute is 3.5 mol or more.
The aqueous electrolyte preferably contains, as an anion species, at least one anion species selected from the group consisting of a chloride ion (Cl?), a hydroxide ion (OH?), a sulphate ion (SO42?), and a nitrate ion (NO3?).
The pH of the aqueous electrolyte is preferably 3 to 14, and more preferably 4 to 13.