Open challenges and good experimental practices in the research field of aqueous Zn-ion batteries

Zampardi, Giorgia; Mantia, Fabio La

doi:10.1038/s41467-022-28381-x

Cited by 282 publications

(196 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…For practical applications, the depth of discharge of the Zn electrodes (DOD Zn ) significantly affects the cycling life and the overall specific energy of the full cell 3 , 4 . The plating/stripping performance of the symmetrical Zn||Zn cells under different DOD Zn was tested using thin Zn electrodes (13 μm, 7.40 mAh cm −2 ) with ZS and La 3+ -ZS electrolyte.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, most of the above approaches rely on the modification of the Zn electrodes or current collectors, which decrease the overall energy density of the cells 14 – 16 . Besides, the long-term cycling of Zn electrodes under conditions of high depth of discharge (DOD) and/or high areal capacity of Zn remains challenging 3 , 4 . It is highly desired to explore new solutions to enable high effective Zn deposition without sacrificing the energy density.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lanthanum nitrate as aqueous electrolyte additive for favourable zinc metal electrodeposition

et al. 2022

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Aqueous zinc batteries are appealing devices for cost-effective and environmentally sustainable energy storage. However, the zinc metal deposition at the anode strongly influences the battery cycle life and performance. To circumvent this issue, here we propose the use of lanthanum nitrate (La(NO3)3) as supporting salt for aqueous zinc sulfate (ZnSO4) electrolyte solutions. Via physicochemical and electrochemical characterizations, we demonstrate that this peculiar electrolyte formulation weakens the electric double layer repulsive force, thus, favouring dense metallic zinc deposits and regulating the charge distribution at the zinc metal|electrolyte interface. When tested in Zn||VS2 full coin cell configuration (with cathode mass loading of 16 mg cm−2), the electrolyte solution containing the lanthanum ions enables almost 1000 cycles at 1 A g−1 (after 5 activation cycles at 0.05 A g−1) with a stable discharge capacity of about 90 mAh g−1 and an average cell discharge voltage of ∼0.54 V.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lanthanum nitrate as aqueous electrolyte additive for favourable zinc metal electrodeposition

et al. 2022

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“…To date, the Zn metal anode (ZMA) has been recognized as an ideal anode for RZBs, offering a high theoretical capacity of 812 mAh g −1 and a competitive electrochemical potential of −0.76 V vs. the standard hydrogen electrode (SHE) 8 . Nevertheless, the dendrite issue of ZMA restricts the anode lifespan, which has become a bottleneck in the practical application of RZBs 9 – 15 . Considerable effort has been made to delve into feasible strategies for dendrite suppression through electrode design 16 , 17 , interface modification 8 , 18 , and electrolyte optimization 19 , 20 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tailoring the metal electrode morphology via electrochemical protocol optimization for long-lasting aqueous zinc batteries

Chen

Wang³

et al. 2022

Nat Commun

160

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Aqueous zinc metal batteries are a viable candidate for cost-effective energy storage. However, the cycle life of the cell is adversely affected by the morphological evolution of the metal electrode surface upon prolonged cycling. Here, we investigate different electrochemical protocols to favour the formation of stable zinc metal electrode surface morphologies. By coupling electrochemical and optical microscopy measurements, we demonstrate that an initial zinc deposition on the metal electrode allows homogeneous stripping and plating processes during prolonged cycling in symmetric Zn||Zn cell. Interestingly, when an initially plated zinc metal electrode is tested in combination with a manganese dioxide-based positive electrode and a two molar zinc sulfate aqueous electrolyte solution in coin cell configuration, a specific discharge capacity of about 90 mAh g−1 can be delivered after 2000 cycles at around 5.6 mA cm−2 and 25 °C.

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“…Being one of the most abundant metals on earth, Zn releases two electrons upon oxidation and offers a theoretical capacity of 3694 Ah/L. The sluggish hydrogen evolution on Zn allows it to work in an aqueous electrolyte 5 , 6 , eliminating fire hazard and lowering the cost. It can be dropped into commercial alkaline Ni cells to replace the expensive metal hydrides.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A Zn||NiOOH full cell (Fig. 5a ) was built with a high loading of Zn (61 mg/cm 2 ) and a low volume of electrolyte (0.6 mL/cm 2 ), both necessary for a high energy density in a practical cell 6 , 24 . The electrolyte in the cathode and the separator contained 6 M KOH and 1 M LiOH, the latter of which prevents anode passivation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phase-transition tailored nanoporous zinc metal electrodes for rechargeable alkaline zinc-nickel oxide hydroxide and zinc-air batteries

Tsang

Xiao

et al. 2022

Nat Commun

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Secondary alkaline Zn batteries are cost-effective, safe, and energy-dense devices, but they are limited in rechargeability. Their short cycle life is caused by the transition between metallic Zn and ZnO, whose differences in electronic conductivity, chemical reactivity, and morphology undermine uniform electrochemical reactions and electrode structural stability. To circumvent these issues, here we propose an electrode design with bi-continuous metallic zinc nanoporous structures capable of stabilizing the electrochemical transition between metallic Zn and ZnO. In particular, via in situ optical microscopy and electrochemical impedance measurements, we demonstrate the kinetics-controlled structural evolution of Zn and ZnO. We also tested the electrochemical energy storage performance of the nanoporous zinc electrodes in alkaline zinc-nickel oxide hydroxide (NiOOH) and zinc-air (using Pt/C/IrO2-based air-electrodes) coin cell configurations. The Zn | |NiOOH cell delivers an areal capacity of 30 mAh/cm2 at 60% depth of discharging for 160 cycles, and the Zn | |Pt/C/IrO2 air cell demonstrates 80-hour stable operation in lean electrolyte condition.

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Open challenges and good experimental practices in the research field of aqueous Zn-ion batteries

Cited by 282 publications

References 18 publications

Lanthanum nitrate as aqueous electrolyte additive for favourable zinc metal electrodeposition

Lanthanum nitrate as aqueous electrolyte additive for favourable zinc metal electrodeposition

Tailoring the metal electrode morphology via electrochemical protocol optimization for long-lasting aqueous zinc batteries

Phase-transition tailored nanoporous zinc metal electrodes for rechargeable alkaline zinc-nickel oxide hydroxide and zinc-air batteries

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