A zinc-ion battery or Zn-ion battery (abbreviated as ZIB) uses

zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...

ion An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by conve ...

s (Zn²⁺) as the

charge carriers In physics, a charge carrier is a particle or quasiparticle that is free to move, carrying an electric charge, especially the particles that carry electric charges in electrical conductors. Examples are electrons, ions and holes. The term is ...

. Specifically, ZIBs utilize Zn as the

anode An anode is an electrode of a polarized electrical device through which conventional current enters the device. This contrasts with a cathode, an electrode of the device through which conventional current leaves the device. A common mnemonic ...

, Zn-intercalating materials as the

cathode A cathode is the electrode from which a conventional current leaves a polarized electrical device. This definition can be recalled by using the mnemonic ''CCD'' for ''Cathode Current Departs''. A conventional current describes the direction in wh ...

, and a Zn-containing electrolyte. Generally, the term zinc-ion battery is reserved for rechargeable (secondary) batteries, which are sometimes also referred to as rechargeable zinc metal batteries (RZMB). Thus, ZIBs are different than non-rechargeable (primary) batteries which use zinc, such as alkaline or zinc–carbon batteries.

History

In 2011, Feiyu Kang's group showcased for the first time the reversible Zn-ion insertion into the tunnel structure of alpha-type manganese dioxide (MnO₂) host used as the cathode in a ZIB. The

University of Waterloo The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo, UW, or Waterloo) is a public research university with a main campus in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is on of land adjacent to "Uptown" Waterloo and Waterloo Park. The university also operates ...

in Canada owns patent rights to zinc-ion battery technology developed in its laboratories. The Canadian company Salient Energy is commercialising the zinc-ion battery technology. Other forms of rechargeable zinc batteries are also being developed for stationary energy storage, although these are not explicitly zinc-ion. For example, Eos Energy Storage is developing a zinc-halide battery in which the cathode reaction involves the oxidation and reduction of halides. Eos Energy Storage is producing 1.5GWh of ‘Made in America’ zinc batteries to be used in the Texas and California electric grids.

Research

Motivation and issues

Compared to lithium metal, a zinc negative electrode holds a higher theoretical volumetric capacity and natural abundance. Depending on the ZIB positive electrode, such theoretical advantages may also be present when comparing to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Moreover, zinc is more compatible with aqueous electrolytes. However, ZIBs generally show lower Coulombic (charge) efficiency than state of the art LIBs, larger overpotentials for plating and striping on the negative electrode, and the possibility of dendritic failure.

Chemistry

Both aqueous and non-aqueous electrolytes are being investigated as candidates for ZIBs. Zinc salts using the TFSI or

triflate In organic chemistry, triflate ( systematic name: trifluoromethanesulfonate), is a functional group with the formula and structure . The triflate group is often represented by , as opposed to −Tf, which is the triflyl group, . For example, ...

anions have been considered for both aqueous and non-aqueous electrolytes.

Zinc sulfate Zinc sulfate is an inorganic compound. It is used as a dietary supplement to treat zinc deficiency and to prevent the condition in those at high risk. Side effects of excess supplementation may include abdominal pain, vomiting, headache, and ti ...

and alkaline KOH-based aqueous electrolytes have also been considered. Until now, several cathode materials have been explored for ZIBs, including gamma-, delta-type MnO₂, copper hexacyanoferrate, bismuth oxide, layer sulfides and Prussian blue analogues. For example, in 2017, researchers reported a prototype zinc-ion battery that has high reversibility, rate, and capacity without dendrite formation. The device used a zinc metal anode, a

vanadium oxide Vanadium oxide may refer to: * Vanadium(II) oxide (vanadium monoxide), VO * Vanadium(III) oxide (vanadium sesquioxide ''or'' trioxide), V2O3 * Vanadium(IV) oxide (vanadium dioxide), VO2 * Vanadium(V) oxide (vanadium pentoxide), V2O5 * Vanadium(VI ...

cathode (Zn_0.25V₂O₅⋅nH₂O) and an

aqueous An aqueous solution is a solution in which the solvent is water. It is mostly shown in chemical equations by appending (aq) to the relevant chemical formula. For example, a solution of table salt, or sodium chloride (NaCl), in water would be re ...

electrolyte, all non-toxic materials. After 1,000 cycles it retained 80% of its capacity. The cell achieved a capacity up to 300 mAh g⁻¹ and an energy density of ∼450 Wh l⁻¹.

References

{{reflist, 30em Rechargeable batteries

History

Research

Motivation and issues

Chemistry

See also

References