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Updated: Jul 31, 2025
06:58
Zinc-Sponge Battery Electrodes that Suppress Dendrites
Published on: September 29, 2020
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Ion Tunnel Matrix Initiated Oriented Attachment for Highly Utilized Zn Anodes
Dan Deng1, Kai Fu1, Ruohan Yu1
1State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|May 5, 2023
Summary
Researchers developed a new method for aqueous zinc batteries using Prussian blue analogs to control zinc deposition. This enables stable, dendrite-free zinc anodes with high utilization, improving battery performance and energy density.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Metallic zinc anodes are ideal for aqueous energy storage but face challenges like dendrite formation and low reversibility.
- These issues necessitate excess zinc, reducing overall battery efficiency and capacity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a zinc anode with high zinc utilization rate (ZUR) and improved stability for aqueous batteries.
- To overcome the limitations of nonhomogeneous deposition and dendrite formation in zinc anodes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized cubic-type Prussian blue analog (PBA) to regulate oriented attachment of zinc deposits via a trapping-then-planting process.
- Investigated the nucleation and growth of zinc (002) deposits on PBA-decorated substrates.
Main Results:
- Achieved dendrite-free zinc plating/stripping with high reversibility for over 6600 cycles (1320 hours).
- Demonstrated an average Coulombic efficiency (CE) of 99.5% at 5 mA cm⁻² with 100% ZUR.
- Anode-limited full cells with a low negative-positive electrode ratio (N/P) of 1.2 operated stably for 360 cycles, reaching an energy density of 214 Wh kg⁻¹.
Conclusions:
- The PBA-mediated oriented attachment provides a practical strategy for high ZUR metal anodes.
- This approach offers a pathway to developing high-energy-density aqueous batteries exceeding commercial standards.
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