Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 11, 2025
06:58
Zinc-Sponge Battery Electrodes that Suppress Dendrites
Published on: September 29, 2020
4.5K
Separator Effect on Zinc Electrodeposition Behavior and Its Implication for Zinc Battery Lifetime
Ye Zhang1,2, Guang Yang3, Michelle L Lehmann3
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States.
Nano Letters
|December 6, 2021
Summary
Separator microstructure critically impacts zinc electrodeposition in batteries. Porous separators cause problematic "dead zinc" formation, unlike nonporous ones, affecting long-cycle zinc battery performance.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Uncontrolled zinc electrodeposition hinders long-cycling zinc batteries.
- Most studies on zinc electrodeposition lack separators, unlike practical cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of separator microstructure in zinc electrodeposition.
- To highlight the impact of separators on zinc deposition behavior.
Main Methods:
- Electrodeposition experiments with varying separator types (porous vs. nonporous).
- Morphological observation of zinc deposition under realistic cell conditions.
- Careful preservation of separator-substrate attachment during observation.
Main Results:
- Porous separators guide zinc deposition into pores, leading to 'dead zinc' upon stripping.
- Nonporous separators effectively prevent zinc penetration.
- Separator microstructure's influence is observable only with preserved separator attachment.
Conclusions:
- Separator microstructure is a critical, overlooked factor in metal anode-based rechargeable batteries.
- Porous separators present a challenge for stable zinc cycling.
- Strategies to shield the metal growth front from porous separators are needed.
Related Concept Videos
03:02Standard Electrode Potentials
45.6K
On comparing the reactivity of silver and lead, it is observed that the two ionic species, Ag+ (aq) and Pb2+ (aq), show a difference in their redox reactivity towards copper: the silver ion undergoes spontaneous reduction, while the lead ion does not. This relative redox activity can be easily quantified in electrochemical cells by a property called cell potential. This property is commonly known as cell voltage in electrochemistry, and it is a measure of the energy which accompanies the charge...
45.6K
01:08Electrodeposition
770
Electrodeposition is a technique used to separate an analyte from interferents by electrochemical processes. Here, the analyte is a metal ion that can be deposited on an electrode immersed in the sample solution. The electrochemical setup consists of an anode and a cathode. When an electric current is applied to the setup, oxidation occurs at the anode. At the cathode, which consists of a large metal surface, metal ions undergo reduction and deposit onto the surface.
Electrodeposition can...
Electrodeposition can...
770
00:56Extraction: Advanced Methods
564
Metal ions can be separated from one another by complexation with organic ligands–the chelating agent– to form uncharged chelates. Here, the chelating agent must contain hydrophobic groups and behave as a weak acid, losing a proton to bind with the metal. Since most organic ligands used in this process are insoluble or undergo oxidation in the aqueous phase, the chelating agent is initially added to the organic phase and extracted into the aqueous phase. The metal-ligand complex is...
564
02:59The Nernst Equation
42.8K
Nonstandard Reaction Conditions
The interconnection between standard cell potentials and various thermodynamic parameters such as the standard free energy change ΔG° and equilibrium constant K has been previously explored. For example, a redox reaction involving zinc(II) and tin(II) ions at 1 M concentration with Eºcell = +0.291 V and ΔG° = −56.2 kJ is spontaneous.
The interconnection between standard cell potentials and various thermodynamic parameters such as the standard free energy change ΔG° and equilibrium constant K has been previously explored. For example, a redox reaction involving zinc(II) and tin(II) ions at 1 M concentration with Eºcell = +0.291 V and ΔG° = −56.2 kJ is spontaneous.
42.8K
02:47Voltaic/Galvanic Cells
59.0K
Spontaneous Chemical Reactions
Spontaneous redox reactions occur abundantly in nature. The chemical reaction occurring in a disposable AA battery powering our remote controls is one such example of a spontaneous redox reaction. Another example is the immersion of coiled copper wire into an aqueous silver nitrate solution. The reaction shows a gradual, visually impressive color change from colorless to bright blue and the formation of a grey precipitate on the copper wire. In this experiment,...
Spontaneous redox reactions occur abundantly in nature. The chemical reaction occurring in a disposable AA battery powering our remote controls is one such example of a spontaneous redox reaction. Another example is the immersion of coiled copper wire into an aqueous silver nitrate solution. The reaction shows a gradual, visually impressive color change from colorless to bright blue and the formation of a grey precipitate on the copper wire. In this experiment,...
59.0K
01:09Colloidal precipitates
882
The high insolubility of some precipitates can result in an unfavorable relative supersaturation. This can lead to colloidal particles with a large surface-to-mass ratio, where adsorption is promoted. For instance, in the precipitation of silver chloride, silver ions are adsorbed on the surface of the colloidal particles, forming a primary layer. This layer attracts ions of opposite charge (such as nitrate ions), forming a diffuse secondary layer of adsorbed ions. This electric double layer...
882