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Results for “aqueous zinc batteries”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Hydrophobic Molecule Monolayer Brush-Tethered Zinc Anodes for Aqueous Zinc Batteries

Aqueous zinc batteries are of great interest as a rechargeable energy storage system, particularly owing to the low cost and high safety of aqueous electrolytes, as well as the high capacity of zinc anodes. Unfortunately, the wide commercialization of aqueous zinc batteries is impeded by the irreversible water reduction and irregular zinc evolution issues on the anode side. Hereby, a hydrophobic and ultrathin polystyrene molecule brush layer is tethered onto the surface of zinc metal anodes to tackle the above limitations. Here, experimental investigations reveal that the waterproof artificial layer can sustain fast interfacial ionic transportation, minimize hydrogen evolution, and smoothen Zn deposition, thus conferring enhanced electrochemical performance to the as-protected Zn anode in both symmetric Zn//Zn cells and Zn//LiV 3 O 8 full cells.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Mechanism of Chalcophanite Nucleation in Zinc Hydroxide Sulfate Cathodes in Aqueous Zinc Batteries

Aqueous Zn-ion batteries with MnO 2 -based cathodes have seen significant attention owing to their high theoretical capacities, safety, and low cost; however, much debate remains regarding the reaction mechanism that dominates energy storage. In this work, we report our electron microscopy study of cathodes containing zinc hydroxide sulfate (Zn 4 SO 4 (OH) 6 ·xH 2 O, ZHS) together with carbon nanotubes cycled in electrolytes containing ZnSO 4 with varied amounts of MnSO 4 incorporated. The primary Mn-containing phase is formed in situ in the cathode during cycling, where a dissolution-deposition reaction is identified between ZHS and chalcophanite (ZnMn 3 O 7 ·3H 2 O). Mechanistic details of this reaction, in which the chalcophanite nucleates then separates from the ZHS flakes as the ZHS dissolves while acting as the primary Zn source for the reaction, are revealed using surface sensitive methods. Importantly, these findings indicate the reaction is local to the ZHS flakes, providing new insight toward the importance of ZHS and the cathode microstructure.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

High-Performance InZn Alloy Anodes toward Practical Aqueous Zinc Batteries

Aqueous Zn batteries have high safety, low-cost and potential of delivering comparable energy density to alkali-ion batteries. However, its practical application is largely hampered by the limited cycle life associated with Zn anodes under conditions of high depth of discharge and high plating current densities. In this work, we report on electrodeposited indium-zinc alloy anodes that have well-dispersed zinc-domains surrounding indium domains that form a porous structure after dealloying which greatly improves tolerance to Zn dendrite formation. The InZn anodes exhibit low polarization of ~5 to 25 mV and demonstrate 700 cycles at a current density of ~10 mA cm -2 with a capacity of 5 mAh cm-2 capacity (45% depth-of-discharge). Full cells with an InZn anode, dibenzo[b,i]thianthrene-5,7,12,14-tetraone (DTT) cathode, in 2M ZnSO 4 deliver a capacity of ~ 110 mAh g -1 and good stability over 40 cycles. Finally, the work reveals a rational design of Zn-based anodes towards practical battery applications and opens the curtain for future development of aqueous Zn batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Spin State Modulation via Magnetic Fields in Fe Single Atom Catalysts for High-Performance Aqueous Zinc–Sulfur Batteries

Aqueous zinc–sulfur battery has garnered significant attention as a high-energy, low-cost, and safe energy storage system. However, the multielectron transfer kinetics of sulfur cathodes are relatively slow, presenting challenges such as limited sulfur utilization and lower discharge voltage, which significantly hinder their practical applications. Here, in this study, we explored a comprehensive design approach for high-performance, long-cycle aqueous zinc–sulfur batteries. The simultaneous introduction of ZnI 2 and Fe single atoms (Fe-SAs) as catalytically active agents decouples the redox reactions, effectively facilitating ZnS oxidation and S reduction separately. The application of an external magnetic field regulates the spin state of Fe-SAs, further enhancing their catalytic activity and electron transfer capability. Electrochemical tests demonstrate that the S@Fe-NC HS/ZnI 2 cathode assembled under a magnetic field exhibits excellent rate performance, achieving an impressive specific capacity of 1399 mAh g –1 at a high current density of 5 A g –1 and good cycling stability over 300 cycles, representing the highest reported high-current discharge capacity to date. This study provides a comprehensive design framework for optimizing zinc–sulfur (Zn–S) battery performance and elucidates the influence of magnetic field-induced spin state modulation on catalytic behavior.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Tuning the Solvation Structure in Aqueous Zinc Batteries to Maximize Zn-Ion Intercalation and Optimize Dendrite-Free Zinc Plating

Aqueous zinc batteries are recognized to suffer from H + /Zn 2+ coinsertion in the cathode, but few approaches have been reported to suppress deleterious H + intercalation. We realize this goal by tuning the solvation structure, using LiV 2 (PO 4 ) 3 (LVP) as a model cathode. Phase conversion of LVP induced by H + intercalation is observed in 4 m Zn(OTf) 2 , whereas dominant Zn 2+ insertion is confirmed in a ZnCl 2 water-in-salt electrolyte (WiSE). This disparity is ascribed to the complete absence of free water and a strong Zn 2+ –H 2 O interaction in the latter that interrupts the H 2 O hydrogen bonding network, thus suppressing H + intercalation. On the basis of this strategy, a novel PEG-based hybrid electrolyte is designed to replace the corrosive ZnCl2 WiSE. This system exhibits an optimized Zn 2+ solvation sheath with a similar low free water content, showing not only much better suppression of H + intercalation but also highly reversible Zn plating/stripping with a CE of ~99.7% over 150 cycles.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Understanding the Role of Zinc Hydroxide Sulfate and its Analogues in Mildly Acidic Aqueous Zinc Batteries: A Review

Abstract Mildly acidic aqueous zinc batteries (AZBs) have attracted tremendous attention for grid storage applications with the expectation to tackle the issues of Li‐ion batteries on high cost and poor safety. However, the performance, particularly energy density and cycle stability of AZBs are still unsatisfactory when compared with LIBs. To help the development of AZBs, a lot of effort have been made to understand the battery reaction mechanisms and precedent microscopic and spectroscopic analyses have shown flake‐like large particles of zinc hydroxide sulfate (ZHS) and its analogues formed on the surfaces of cathodes and anodes in sulfate and other electrolyte systems during cycling. However, because of the complexity of the thermodynamics and kinetics of aqueous reactions to understand different battery conditions, controversies still exist. This article will review the roles of ZHS discussed in recent representative references aiming to shine light on the fundamental mechanisms of AZBs and pave ways to further improve the battery performance.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Polyvinyl alcohol coating induced preferred crystallographic orientation in aqueous zinc battery anodes

The development of rechargeable aqueous zinc batteries is mainly hindered by the Zn anode, which suffers from dendrite growth, corrosion, hydrogen evolution, and surface passivation. Herein, a thin polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) coating layer on Zn anode has enabled dendrite-free, long-life aqueous Zn batteries by effectively regulating the interfacial ion diffusion and inducing the homogeneous Zn nucleation and deposition of stacked plates with preferentially crystallographic orientation along (002) Zn planes. The PVA@Zn anode achieved an ultralong cycle lifespan of thousands of hours at 0.25 and 1 mA cm -2 . Outstanding durability under a deep cycling capacity (5 mA h cm -2 ), high current density (10 mA cm -2 ), and long duration conditions were achieved. The superior cyclability of PVA@Zn anode was also demonstrated in PVA@Zn//V 2 O 5 full cells. In conclusion, the insights of PVA induced Zn deposition with preferred crystal orientation and interfacial regulation shed light on the future development of stable Zn anodes.

Crystallographic orientation↗
DOE OSTI2021

Oxygen-deficient ammonium vanadate for flexible aqueous zinc batteries with high energy density and rate capability at -30 °C

Aqueous zinc batteries (AZBs) have received significant attention owing to environmental friendliness, high energy density and inherent safety. However, lack of high-performance cathodes has become the main bottleneck of AZBs development. Here, oxygen-deficient NH 4 V 4 O 10–x ·nH 2 O (NVOH) microspheres are synthesized and used as cathodes for AZBs. The experimental test and theoretical calculations demonstrate that the oxygen vacancies in the lattice lower the Zn 2+ diffusion energy barrier, which enables fast Zn 2+ diffusion and good electrochemical performance in a wide temperature range. The suppressed side reactions also can help to improve the low temperature performance. NVOH shows a high energy density of 372.4 Wh kg –1 and 296 Wh kg –1 at room temperature and –30 °C, respectively. Moreover, NVOH maintains a 100% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 0.1 A g –1 and ~94% capacity retention after 2600 cycles at 2 A g –1 and –30 °C. Investigation into the mechanism of the process reveals that the capacity contribution of surface capacitive behaviors is dominant and capacity attenuation is mainly caused by the decay of diffusion-controlled capacity. As a result, flexible AZBs can steadily power portable electronics under different bending states, demonstrating its great potential in wide-temperature wearable device.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Probing and Tuning Spatiotemporal pH Evolution in Aqueous Zinc Ion Batteries

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) offer a combination of safety and low cost, but they suffer from dynamic pH fluctuations that drive parasitic reactions and capacity fading. In this review, we report the current mechanistic understanding of the dynamic pH evolution across the electrolyte-electrode interface and its role in triggering interphase instability. We summarize advanced strategies to regulate pH, including electrolyte engineering, electrode surface modification, and interphase construction. We further discuss current methods for probing pH dynamics and outline potential future approaches for gaining deeper mechanistic and design insights.

Zheng, Xueli [SLAC]↗
DOE OSTI2020

Effects of water-based binders on electrochemical performance of manganese dioxide cathode in mild aqueous zinc batteries

In the majority of rechargeable batteries including lithium ion batteries (LIBs), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF) binders are the most commonly used binder for both anode and cathode. However, using PVdF binder requires the organic solvent of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) which is expensive, volatile, combustible, toxic, and has poor recyclability. Therefore, switching to aqueous electrode processing routes with non-toxic binders would provide a great leap forward towards the realization of ideally fully sustainable and environmentally friendly electrochemical energy storage devices. Various water-soluble binders (aqueous binders) were characterized and compared to the performance of conventional PVDF. Our study demonstrates that the electrochemical performance of Zn/MnO2 aqueous batteries is significantly improved by using sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) binder. Additionally, CMC binders offers desirable adhesion, good wettability, homogeneous material distribution, and strong chemical stability at certain pH levels (3.5~5) without any decomposition for long-cycle life.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Understanding the Benefit of Hybrid Electrolytes towards Vanadium Dissolution Suppression and Improved Capacity Retention in Zinc‐Aqueous Batteries Using NaV 3 O 8 Cathodes

Vanadate cathodes used in aqueous Zn-ion batteries with ZnSO 4 are hindered by capacity loss from V dissolution into the electrolyte. However, studies pinpointing the onset of dissolution as a function of electrochemical redox state and quantifying the amount of associated active material are lacking. To prevent dissolution of the NaV 3 O 8 active material, Na + ions are introduced into the electrolyte. Specifically, a hybrid ZnSO 4 + Na 2 SO 4 electrolyte is investigated in concert with NaV 3 O 8 (NVO) cathodes of varied crystallinity to determine the resulting impacts on cathode dissolution and functional electrochemistry. The use of Na + -containing hybrid electrolyte shows no significant change in Zn 2+ diffusion coefficients yet improved capacity retention. Time-resolved quantitative optical emission spectroscopy demonstrates the suppression of V dissolution with the hybrid electrolyte in both pristine and cycled electrodes. Operando synchrotron X-ray diffraction and absorption provide mechanistic insights. Hydrated NVO with wider interplanar spacing exhibits much higher H + /Zn 2+ capacity, while the Na 2 SO 4 mitigates the formation of irreversible side products. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that the use of hybrid electrolytes and control of crystallite size in the parent material can significantly improve electrochemical behavior of layered V-based cathodes in Zn-ion batteries, providing a general strategy toward safe and resilient aqueous battery systems.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Non-destructive electrochemical diagnosis of failure mechanisms in aqueous zinc batteries

The early detection of secondary reactions that affect the life and performance of zinc manganese oxide batteries requires a shift from conventional time-consuming and often destructive procedures to rapid lifetime-predictive techniques. In this work, an electrochemical approach is employed to elucidate independent signatures for four common types of failure mechanisms in zinc manganese dioxide (Zn||MnO2) batteries—namely, the loss of zinc inventory, the loss of active material at the cathode, electrolyte depletion, and increased cell impedance. Our findings, specific to coin cell configurations, reveal that each induced failure mechanism can be distinctively modeled and identified based on responses from the rest voltage and columbic-efficiency data for prompt detection. For instance, electrolyte depletion response manifests a distinctive abrupt (>80 %) decrease in columbic efficiency (CE) and charge-rest voltage (Vc) while the discharge-rest voltage remained constant at ~1.3 V. Furthermore, electrolyte rejuvenation of the cell increased the CE to >95 % and restored Vc from ~0.3 to >1.7 V. Recovery experiments and reference performance tests demonstrated consistency between electrochemical descriptors and their associated failure mechanisms. Further, the outcomes of this work provide valuable insights and data models for some of the dominant failure mechanisms present in zinc manganese battery chemistries, which are beneficial to accelerated early-lifetime diagnosis and advancement of Zn batteries development.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Electrodeposited Zinc-based Films as Anodes for Aqueous Zinc Batteries

Zinc-based batteries have attracted extensive attention in recent years, due to high safety, high capacities, environmental friendliness, and low cost compared to lithium ion batteries. However, the zinc anode suffers primarily from dendrite formation as a mode of failure in the mildly acidic system. Herein, we report on electrochemically deposited zinc (ED Zn) and copper-zinc (brass) alloy anodes, which are critically compared with a standard commercial zinc foil. The film electrodes are of commercially relevant thicknesses (21 and 25µM). The electrodeposited zinc-based anodes exhibit low electrode polarization (~0.025V) and stable cycling performance in 50 cycle consecutive experiments from 0.26-10 mA cm-2 compared to commercial Zn foil. Coulombic efficiencies at 1 mA cm-2 were over 98% for the electrodeposited zinc-based materials and were maintained for over 100 cycles. Furthermore, full cells with an electrodeposited Zn/brass anode, EMD MnO2 cathode, in 1M ZnSO4 + 0.1M MnSO4 delivered capacities of 96.3, and 163 mAh g-1, respectively, at a 100 mA g-1 compared to 92.1 mAh g-1 for commercial Zn. The zinc-based anodes also show better rate capability, delivering full cell capacities of 35.9 and 47.5 mAh g-1 at high current of up to 3 A g-1. Lastly, the electrodeposited zinc-based anodes show enhanced capacity for up to 100 cycles at 100 mA g-1, making them viable anodes for commercial use.

Fayette, Matthew R.↗