Zn-Based Deep Eutectic Solvent as the Stabilizing Electrolyte for Zn Metal Anode in Rechargeable Aqueous Batteries

Owing to its low cost and high safety, metallic zinc has received considerable attention as an anode material for zinc aqueous batteries (ZIBs). However, the Zn metal instability as a result ultrafast of obstinate dendrite formation, free-water-induced parasite reactions, and corrosive electrolytes has detrimental effects on the implementation of ZIBs. We present an alternative stable electrolyte for ZIBs based on a zinc chloride/ethylene glycol deep eutectic solvent (DES). This electrolyte consists of abundant low-cost materials and a utilizable Zn2+ concentration of approximately 1 M. It combines the advantages of the aqueous and DES media to provide safe and reversible Zn plating/stripping with a two-fold increase in the cycling life compared to that of conventional aqueous electrolytes. With these advantages, the Zn symmetric cell operates at 0.2 mA cm−2 for 300 h. Due to its high efficiency and compositional versatility, this electrolyte enables the investigation of a non-aqueous electrolyte family for ZIBs that fulfill grid-scale electrical energy storage requirements.

Crosslinked Chitosan Binder for Sustainable Aqueous Batteries

The increased percentage of renewable power sources involved in energy production highlights the importance of developing systems for stationary energy storage that satisfy the requirements of safety and low costs. Na ion batteries can be suitable candidates, specifically if their components are economic and safe. This study focuses on the development of aqueous processes and binders to prepare electrodes for sodium ion cells operating in aqueous solutions. We demonstrated the feasibility of a chitosan-based binder to produce freestanding electrodes for Na ion cells, without the use of organic solvents and current collectors in electrode processing. To our knowledge, it is the first time that water-processed, freestanding electrodes are used in aqueous Na ion cells, which could also be extended to other types of aqueous batteries. This is a real breakthrough in terms of sustainability, taking into account low risks for health and environment and low costs.

Symmetric Aqueous Batteries of Titanium Hexacyanoferrate in Na+, K+, and Mg2+ Media

Symmetric batteries, in which the same active material is used for the positive and the negative electrode, simplifying the manufacture process and reducing the fabrication cost, have attracted extensive interest for large-scale stationary energy storage. In this paper, we propose a symmetric battery based on titanium hexacyanoferrate (TiHCF) with two well-separated redox peaks of Fe3+/Fe2+ and Ti4+/Ti3+ and tested it in aqueous Na-ion/ K-ion/Mg-ion electrolytes. The result shows that all the symmetric batteries exhibit a voltage plateau centered at around 0.6 V, with discharge capacity around 30 mAhg−1 at C/5. Compared to a Mg-ion electrolyte, the TiHCF symmetric batteries in Na-ion and K-ion electrolytes have better stability. The calculated diffusion coefficient of Na+, K+, and Mg2+ are in the same order of magnitude, which indicates that the three-dimensional ionic channels and interstices in the lattice of TiHCF are large enough for an efficient Na+, K+ and Mg2+ insertion and extraction.

Hierarchical Mg-Birnessite Nanowall Arrays with Enriched (010) Planes for High Performance Aqueous Mg-Ion Batteries

Birnessite MnO2 is a promising cathode material for aqueous Mg-ion batteries due to its layered structure with large interlayer distance. However, the two-dimensional growth mode of birnessite induces nanosheet morphology with preferred growth of inactive (001) planes with sluggish ion transport kinetics. In this work, a high Mg content birnessite with hierarchical nanowall arrays morphology is prepared by in situ electro-conversion using spinel Mn3O4 nanowall arrays. The electro-conversion Mg-birnessite (ECMB) nanowall arrays are assembled by ultrasmall nanosheets with reduced (001) planes but increased active (010) planes, affording enriched open intercalation channels and shortened Mg2+ diffusion length. Consequently, the ECMB cathode exhibits a large specific reversible capacity of about 255.1 mAh/g at a current density of 200 mA/g, and outstanding cycling stability with 73.6% capacity retention after 3000 cycles. Finally, a 2.2 V aqueous full cell is constructed by using ECMB as positive electrode and polyimide as negative electrode, which achieves a high energy density of 65.2 Wh/kg at a power density of 96 W/kg. This work demonstrates effective crystal plane modulation for Mg-birnessite to achieve superior Mg2+ storage in aqueous batteries.