Deeply Rechargeable and Hydrogen-Evolution-Suppressing Zinc Anode in Alkaline Aqueous Electrolyte

Zhang, Yamin; Wu, Yutong; You, Wenqin; Tian, Mengkun; Huang, Po‐Wei; Zhang, Yifan; Sun, Zhijian; Ma, Yao; Hao, Tianqi; Liu, Nian

doi:10.1021/acs.nanolett.0c01776

Cited by 97 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…[ 24–26 ] Among them, aqueous zinc metal batteries (AZMBs) have become competitive candidates due to the abundance of zinc (Zn), the low overpotential (−0.762 V vs standard hydrogen electrode), and the high gravimetric capacity (820 mAh g −1 ) and volumetric capacity (5855 mAh cm −3 ). [ 27–34 ] In addition, there have been many studies on cathode materials in AZMBs, which include inorganic materials (such as vanadium‐based compounds and manganese‐based compounds), inorganic–organic hybrids (such as Prussian blue and its analogs), and organic materials (such as chloranil, phenanthrenequinone triangles, and covalent organic frameworks). [ 35–40 ] Such rich material systems provide more possibilities for the commercial development of AZMBs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comprehensive Analyses of Aqueous Zn Metal Batteries: Characterization Methods, Simulations, and Theoretical Calculations

Zhang

Hou

2021

Advanced Energy Materials

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Aqueous zinc metal batteries (AZMBs) are regarded as competitive candidates for next‐generation energy storage owing to their low cost, high performance, high safety, and high environmental friendliness. However, serious issues, including Zn dendrites, chemical corrosion, H2 evolution, and sluggish Zn2+ diffusion kinetics, have largely impeded the commercial application of AZMBs. To understand these issues in depth and identify countermeasures, comprehensive analyses of AZMBs have continuously been developed. In this review, a detailed overview of the analytical techniques used to study AZMBs, including characterization methods, simulations, and theoretical calculations is presented, which provides a comprehensive toolbox for further research. Conventional characterization methods that provide preliminary information are first summarized. Various in situ techniques, including visualization and spectral characterization, are then discussed. These advanced real‐time monitoring techniques contribute to a deeper understanding of the battery failure mechanism. Simulations and theoretical calculations are then presented in detail, enabling an in‐depth investigation of the mechanism at the atomic level. Theoretical analyses can not only explore the mechanism in more detail, but also play a key role in guiding research and predicting future directions. Finally, the challenges and perspective of comprehensive analyses of AZMBs are discussed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comprehensive Analyses of Aqueous Zn Metal Batteries: Characterization Methods, Simulations, and Theoretical Calculations

Zhang

Hou

2021

Advanced Energy Materials

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“…c) Cycling stability of Zn plating/stripping in both of bare Zn and poly(vinyl butyral) coated Zn (PVB@Zn) symmetric cells (Inset: Digital images of Zn electrodes (blue dash line) and PVB@Zn electrodes (yellow dash line) that were stripped out of the cells after 800 cycles. (Adapted from ref [54,64,65] . with copyright permission from Elsevier, American Chemical Society, and John Wiley and Sons, respectively).…”

Section: Materials Strategies To Enhance the Cycle‐life Of Zn‐air Batmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent work by Zhang et al. (2020) employed an interesting strategy of encasing submicron Zn anode with TiO 2 [64] . It is proposed that the TiO 2 outer layer acts as an ion‐sieving layer that blocks the larger zincate ions, while suppressing HER at the same time.…”

Section: Materials Strategies To Enhance the Cycle‐life Of Zn‐air Batmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Progress in Extending the Cycle‐Life of Secondary Zn‐Air Batteries

et al. 2021

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Secondary Zn‐air batteries with stable voltage and long cycle‐life are of immediate interest to meet global energy storage needs at various scales. Although primary Zn‐air batteries have been widely used since the early 1930s, large‐scale development of electrically rechargeable variants has not been fully realized due to their short cycle‐life. In this work, we review some of the most recent and effective strategies to extend the cycle‐life of Zn‐air batteries. Firstly, diverse degradation routes in Zn‐air batteries will be discussed, linking commonly observed failure modes with the possible mechanisms and root causes. Next, we evaluate the most recent and effective strategies aimed at tackling individual or multiple of these degradation routes. Both aspects of cell architecture design and materials engineering of the electrodes and the electrolytes will be thoroughly covered. Finally, we offer our perspective on how the cycle‐life of Zn‐air batteries can be extended with concerted and tailored research directions to pave the way for their use as the most promising secondary battery system of the future.

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“…[33] From a thermodynamic standpoint, this negative reduction potential means that H 2 generation will occur before Zn electrodeposition. [34] However, neutral pH electrolytes and Zn metal's sluggish ability to evolve H 2 can kinetically impede this unwanted side reaction. [14,35,36] Furthermore, ZnO, which also can form during electrodeposition, prevents H 2 production.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamic Windows Using Reversible Zinc Electrodeposition in Neutral Electrolytes with High Opacity and Excellent Resting Stability

Islam

Barile

2021

Advanced Energy Materials

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electrochemically reduced to the +5 oxidation state. Despite much research studying transition metal oxides and other electrochromic materials including polymers, [18] small molecules, [19] and nanoparticles, [20] there is not yet a single technology that fulfills the color neutrality, switching speed, low cost, and durability required for the widespread adoption of dynamic windows. [21] Compared with electrochromic materials, reversible metal electrodeposition (RME) for dynamic window applications is an underexplored approach that has recently shown great promise. [10,22,23] RME-based devices have several advantages over traditional electrochromic devices. First, metals have high extinction coefficients, which means that uniform metal films are opaque at thicknesses of 20-30 nm. In contrast, electrochromic materials need to be 100-1000 nm thick to block the same amount of light, which can result in slower switching speeds and higher costs. [24][25][26] Second, electrochromic materials are typically deposited using expensive vacuum techniques, while RME devices are mostly solution-processed. [8,26,27] Third, while the most extensively used electrochromic material, WO 3 , is blue in its opaque state, most electrodeposited metal thin films are black, and this color neutrality is desired for the majority of applications. [8,28,29] Dynamic windows harnessing RME are electrochemical devices in which the working electrode is a transparent conductive electrode such as tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) and the counter electrode is a metal frame or mesh. In between the two electrodes, RME devices contain a solution of transparent metal ions in a liquid or gel electrolyte. By applying a negative potential with respect to the working electrode, the metal ions in the electrolyte are reduced to elemental metal on the working electrode, which transforms the device from clear to dark. At the same, metal is oxidized on the counter electrode to form metal ions and charge balance the device. To switch the device from dark to clear, a positive potential is applied to the working electrode to induce the opposite reactions.Most previous RME dynamic windows operate via the electrodeposition of a mixture of Bi and Cu. [8,30,31] Although these devices exhibit fast switching speeds and excellent color neutrality, one disadvantage is the limited solubility of Bi ions in aqueous electrolytes due to the formation of insoluble Bi(OH) 3 . As a result, Bi-Cu electrolytes are typically acidic such that the Bi(OH) 3 is solubilized. The acid in these electrolytes, however, Dynamic windows, which electronically switch between clear and dark states, can play a vital role in energy-efficient buildings by reducing lighting, heating, and cooling demands. In this manuscript, reversible Zn electrodeposition on tin-doped indium oxide electrodes is studied and a mechanism is proposed that explains the deposition and dissolution processes. This mechanistic understanding enables the construction of 100 cm 2 two-electrode devices that transition from clear (80% t...

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Deeply Rechargeable and Hydrogen-Evolution-Suppressing Zinc Anode in Alkaline Aqueous Electrolyte

Cited by 97 publications

References 58 publications

Comprehensive Analyses of Aqueous Zn Metal Batteries: Characterization Methods, Simulations, and Theoretical Calculations

Comprehensive Analyses of Aqueous Zn Metal Batteries: Characterization Methods, Simulations, and Theoretical Calculations

Recent Progress in Extending the Cycle‐Life of Secondary Zn‐Air Batteries

Dynamic Windows Using Reversible Zinc Electrodeposition in Neutral Electrolytes with High Opacity and Excellent Resting Stability

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