Search

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries offer the greatest promise as an alternative technology for low-cost and high-safety energy storage. However, the development of high-performance cathode materials and their compatibility with aqueous electrolytes are major obstacles to their practical applications. Herein, we report the synthesis of orthorhombic V2O5·nH2O nanorods as cathodes for aqueous zinc batteries. As a result, the electrode delivers a reversible capacity as high as 320 mAh g−1 at 1.0 A g−1 and long-term cycling stability in a wide window of 0.2 to 1.8 V using a mild ZnSO4 aqueous electrolyte. The superior performance can be attributed to the improved stability of materials, inhibited electrolyte decomposition and facilitated charge transfer kinetics of such materials for aqueous zinc storage. Furthermore, a full cell using microsized Zn powder as an anode within capacity-balancing design exhibits high capacity and stable cycling performance, proving the feasibility of these materials for practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous zinc batteries have been regarded as a promising energy storage technology due to their high energy, high material abundance, low toxicity, and intrinsic safety. NASICON‐type materials have been proposed as efficient cathodes for rechargeable batteries, yet they suffer from fast degradation and low Coulombic efficiency in aqueous batteries. Here we demonstrate that a rationally designed aqueous electrolyte containing a supporting Na salt and polymer additive can efficiently suppress the water activity through hydrogen bonding and facilitate the anion involvement in interfacial reactions, thus enabling the stable operation of sodium superionic conductor (NASICON) cathodes in aqueous zinc batteries. As exemplified by a Na3V2(PO4)3 cathode, the cell with zinc metal anode exhibits high cycling Coulombic efficiencies (around 99.9 % in average) with a steady output voltage and capacity retention for 300 cycles. This work addresses the potential issues with NASICON‐type cathodes in aqueous zinc batteries and proposes an effective solution via fundamental interphasial chemistry to design efficient and sustainable aqueous electrolytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aqueous zinc batteries have been regarded as a promising energy storage technology due to their high energy, high material abundance, low toxicity, and intrinsic safety. NASICON-type materials have been proposed as efficient cathodes for rechargeable batteries, yet they suffer from fast degradation and low Coulombic efficiency in aqueous batteries. Here we demonstrate that a rationally designed aqueous electrolyte containing a supporting Na salt and polymer additive can efficiently suppress the water activity through hydrogen bonding and facilitate the anion involvement in interfacial reactions, thus enabling the stable operation of sodium superionic conductor (NASICON) cathodes in aqueous zinc batteries. As exemplified by a Na 3 V 2 (PO 4 ) 3 cathode, the cell with zinc metal anode exhibits high cycling Coulombic efficiencies (around 99.9 % in average) with a steady output voltage and capacity retention for 300 cycles. This work addresses the potential issues with NASICON-type cathodes in aqueous zinc batteries and proposes an effective solution via fundamental interphasial chemistry to design efficient and sustainable aqueous electrolytes., (© 2022 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)