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Updated: Jun 5, 2025

Zinc-Sponge Battery Electrodes that Suppress Dendrites
Published on: September 29, 2020
Formation of H2O2 in Near-Neutral Zn-air Batteries Enables Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Roman R Kapaev1, Nicole Leifer1, Alagar Raja Kottaichamy2
1Department of Chemistry and BINA-BIU Center for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 5290002, Israel (R. R. K.) (M. N.
Abstract:
Rechargeable Zn-air batteries (ZABs) with near-neutral electrolytes hold promise as cheap, safe and sustainable devices, but they suffer from slow charge kinetics and remain poorly studied. Here we reveal a charge storage mechanism of near-neutral Zn-air batteries that is mediated by formation of dissolved hydrogen peroxide upon cell discharge and its oxidation upon charge. This H2O2-mediated pathway facilitates oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at ~1.5 V vs. Zn2+/Zn, reducing charge overpotentials by ~0.2-0.5 V and mitigating carbon corrosion-a common issue in ZABs. The manifestation of this mechanism strongly depends on the electrolyte composition and positive electrode material, contributing up to ~60 % of the capacity with ZnSO4 solutions and carbon nanotubes. Enhancing the H2O2-mediated pathway offers a route to higher energy efficiency and durability in near-neutral ZABs, advancing practical, sustainable energy storage.
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