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Can Aqueous Zinc-Air Batteries Work at Sub-Zero Temperatures?
Chang-Xin Zhao1, Jia-Ning Liu1, Nan Yao1
1Beijing Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Reaction Engineering and Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
Abstract:
Efficient energy storage at low temperatures starves for competent battery techniques. Herein, inherent advantages of zinc-air batteries on low-temperature electrochemical energy storage are discovered. The electrode reactions are resistive against low temperatures to render feasible working zinc-air batteries under sub-zero temperatures. The relatively reduced ionic conductivity of electrolyte is identified as the main limiting factor, which can be addressed by employing a CsOH-based electrolyte through regulating the solvation structures. Accordingly, 500 cycles with a stable voltage gap of 0.8 V at 5.0 mA cm-2 is achieved at -10 °C. This work reveals the promising potential of zinc-air batteries for low-temperature electrochemical energy storage and inspires advanced battery systems under extreme working conditions.
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