Recent Advances and Perspectives of Zn‐Metal Free “Rocking‐Chair”‐Type Zn‐Ion Batteries

Abstract

In the past decades, the world has witnessed the successful commercialization of “rocking‐chair”‐type lithium‐ion batteries with lithium metal free anodes. Owing to their safe, green, easy manufacturing, and cost‐efficiency characteristics, rechargeable zinc batteries have recently received more and more attention. However, the practical application of Zn metal batteries is hampered mainly by the dendritic growth of Zn metal anode, which leads to poor Coulombic efficiency, hazards, and various side reactions. Herein, the emerging “rocking‐chair”‐type Zn‐ion batteries are systemically reviewed with Zn host anodes instead of Zn metal anodes. As an introduction, the fundamental principles, advantages, and challenges of “rocking‐chair”‐type Zn‐ion batteries are discussed. Subsequently, the design principles and recent advances of cathode, anode, and electrolyte for “rocking‐chair” Zn‐ion batteries are summarized. To conclude, perspectives on the future of “rocking‐chair” Zn‐ion batteries are presented. It is hoped that this review may provide alternative directions for the design of Zn‐ion batteries.

Heterometallic Seed‐Mediated Zinc Deposition on Inkjet Printed Silver Nanoparticles Toward Foldable and Heat‐Resistant Zinc Batteries

“…[ 1,2 ] Aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (ZIBs) have great potential as promising energy storage devices owing to the appealing merits of the Zn anode, including natural abundance, high safety, low cost, and high theoretical capacity (820 mAh g −1 ), as well as low redox potential. [ 3–13 ] Various cathode materials have been studied for rechargeable aqueous ZIBs, including metal oxides (manganese oxide, vanadate compounds, and so on), [ 14–17 ] Prussian blue, [ 18 ] organic materials, etc. [ 19 ] Nonetheless, the large‐scale application of rechargeable aqueous ZIBs has to face major challenges related to zinc anode, which stems from the uncontrolled dendritic growth and detrimental side‐reactions including hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and byproduct at anode surface.…”

“…Accordingly, several strategies have been devoted to suppressing dendrite growth and minimizing side reactions, including optimizing electrolyte composition, [ 12–24 ] adopting gel or solid electrolyte, [ 25–27 ] and coating multifunctional protective layers. [ 28–33 ] Metallic Zn anode is a hostless electrode that is dynamically deposited and stripped at the Zn‐electrolyte interfaces, eventually undergoing huge volume variation during repeated Zn deposition‐dissolution processes.…”

A review of π-conjugated polymer-based nanocomposites for metal-ion batteries and supercapacitors

“…Layered oxides, Prussian blue analogues, poly-anion and organic compounds are the four important materials used as electrode material for Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) [91][92][93]. The main issues of concern with the use of above-mentioned electrode material in ZIBs are low specific energy, and low rate capability and less stability [94][95][96]. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find suitable candidates for ZIBs which can enhance the discharge capacity with rate capability in solid as well as liquid electrolytes [97].…”

Confinement of Zinc Salt in Ultrathin Heterogeneous Film to Stabilize Zinc Metal Anode

“…[1][2][3] Unfortunately, the AZMBs have been stuck in the hard reversible charge/discharge ability due to the poor reversibility of Zn metal anode, which suffers from more lethal dendrite problem than that of alkaline metal batteries in organic electrolyte due to the fast ion-transport nature between solid/liquid interfaces in aqueous electrolytes (Scheme 1a). [4][5][6] Moreover, water splitting, especially hydrogen evolution reaction, is likely to occur in AZMBs, causing sustaining consumption of electrolyte and formation of dead Zn that induces irreversible capacity loss, low Coulombic efficiency (CE), and even inner short circuit in a short running time. [7][8][9][10] Thus, it is urgent to develop effective strategies to stabilize Zn metal anode for the rechargeable AZMBs.…”