Materials science: New design for sustainable zinc batteries

 
A paper reporting on the design of new electrolytes that can improve the performance and manufacturing costs of water-based zinc-ion batteries will be published in Nature Sustainability.These findings suggest the possibility of developing a practical zinc-ion battery that combines safety, performance, and sustainability, replacing traditional lithium-ion batteries used in portable electronic devices and electric vehicles. It highlights the possibility of becoming.

Interest in using water-based zinc-ion batteries as a more sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries for portable electronics and electric vehicles, as zinc is safer, more cost-effective and more environmentally friendly than lithium. Is increasing.However, the use of an aqueous electrolyte (a liquid in a battery that conducts ions) in a zinc ion battery poses a difficult problem.These challenges include irregular precipitation of zinc, generation of hydrogen gas, corrosion of electrodes, all of which can lead to rapid performance degradation.

Now, Quan-Hong Yang et al. Report on the design of a new type of electrolyte consisting of hydrated zinc salts.In this electrolyte, the small amount of water contained in it not only addresses the safety issues and technical issues associated with water-based zinc-ion batteries, but also plays an important role in making it nonflammable.Yang et al. Also elaborate on the cost competitiveness of this electrolyte compared to the electrolyte normally used in zinc-ion batteries.Furthermore, the battery demonstrated this time shows excellent performance not only at room temperature but also in the temperature range of -30 to 40 ° C.

In related News and Views, Florencio Santos and Antonio Fernández Romero should further optimize performance, but this study "uses cheap and environmentally friendly electrolytes to address some of the key challenges of zinc-ion batteries. "We worked on it," he said. "If we proceed with development based on this achievement, we can create and implement reliable and affordable batteries to help the transition to a sustainable future." I have concluded.

doi: 10.1038 / s41893-021-00800-9
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"Highlights of Nature Magazines" is a translation of a release made by Nature's public relations department for the press.If you need more accurate and detailed information, be sure to read the original paper.

 
* This article is reprinted from "Nature Japan Featured Highlights".
Reprinted from: "Materials Science: New Electrolyte Design for Sustainable Zinc Ion Batteries'
 

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