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Updated: Jun 27, 2025
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Extending the Lifespan of Soluble Lead Flow Batteries with a Sodium Acetate Additive
Published on: January 7, 2019
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Dual-Function Electrolyte Additive Design for Long Life Alkaline Zinc Flow Batteries
Rene Ling1, Zixuan Zhu1, Kang Peng1
1Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, P. R. China.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|April 27, 2024
Summary
A novel electrolyte additive strategy using urea stabilizes alkaline zinc-based flow batteries (AZFBs) by controlling zinc deposition and preventing corrosion. This enhances battery performance and longevity for reliable energy storage.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Materials Science
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Alkaline zinc-based flow batteries (AZFBs) offer a low-cost, safe energy storage solution.
- Zinc dendrite growth and dead zinc formation hinder AZFB stability and lifespan.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a dual-function electrolyte additive strategy for AZFBs.
- To regulate zinc nucleation and mitigate hydroxide corrosion of zinc deposits.
Main Methods:
- Investigated urea as an electrolyte additive.
- Identified zincate-urea complexes using computational methods.
- Performed prolonged cell cycling tests on a prototype AZFB.
Main Results:
- Urea coordinated with Zn2+/Zn, slowing deposition kinetics for uniform nucleation.
- Identified specific zincate-urea complexes: Zn(OH)2(urea)(H2O)2 and Zn2(OH)4(H2O)4(urea).
- Demonstrated a 1.29 eV energy barrier against hydroxide adsorption, reducing dead zinc formation.
- Achieved stable operation for over 130 hours with 98.5% average coulombic efficiency.
Conclusions:
- The dual-function electrolyte additive strategy effectively enhances AZFB stability.
- This approach mitigates key degradation mechanisms, paving the way for practical AZFB applications.
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