Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 3, 2026
09:18
Simple Methods for the Preparation of Non-noble Metal Bulk-electrodes for Electrocatalytic Applications
Published on: June 21, 2017
11.5K
Self-Assembled Homogeneous Heterobimetallic-Oxide Interfaces Enable Synergistic Hydrogen Evolution Passivation for
Zhipeng Shao1,2,3, Yucheng Xie2, Jie Luo2
1National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|August 19, 2025
Summary
Stable acidic zinc-manganese batteries are enabled by a novel heterobimetallic-oxide interface on the zinc anode. This strategy prevents corrosion and hydrogen evolution, allowing for extended cycling and high performance in energy storage applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Acidic zinc-manganese (Zn-Mn) batteries offer high voltage and capacity for large-scale energy storage.
- Zn anode instability in acidic media, due to proton corrosion and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), limits battery longevity.
- Developing stable Zn anodes is crucial for advancing practical acidic Zn-Mn battery technology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer a stable Zn anode for long-term acidic Zn-Mn batteries.
- To overcome Zn anode instability caused by proton corrosion and HER in strongly acidic environments.
- To enhance the cycling performance and safety of Zn-Mn batteries for energy storage.
Main Methods:
- A multi-cation synergistic regulation strategy using Cu2+, In3+, and Sn4+ to create self-assembled heterobimetallic-oxide interfaces on the Zn anode.
- Utilizing SnCl4 hydrolysis and ion replacement with Zn metal to form In-CuZn5 and SnO2 heterobimetallic oxides.
- Investigating the protective mechanism of the heterobimetallic-oxide interface against corrosion and HER, and its effect on Zn plating/stripping.
Main Results:
- The heterobimetallic-oxide interface effectively inhibited proton corrosion and HER, enabling >85.5% depth of discharge with over 1000 hours of cycling in a strongly acidic medium (pH=0.9).
- The interface promoted ordered Zn plating/stripping due to the acid resistance of SnO2 and abundant nucleation sites.
- A Zn-Mn pouch battery demonstrated a high capacity of 1.39 mAh cm-2, retaining 84.9% after 200 cycles at 1 mA cm-2.
Conclusions:
- The self-assembled heterobimetallic-oxide interface strategy successfully addresses Zn anode instability in acidic electrolytes.
- This approach significantly enhances the cycling life and performance of acidic Zn-Mn batteries.
- The developed interface strategy shows great potential for the advancement of high-safety, large-scale energy storage technologies.
Related Concept Videos
03:12Batteries and Fuel Cells
A battery is a galvanic cell that is used as a source of electrical power for specific applications. Modern batteries exist in a multitude of forms to accommodate various applications, from tiny button batteries such as those that power wristwatches to the very large batteries used to supply backup energy to municipal power grids. Some batteries are designed for single-use applications and cannot be recharged (primary cells), while others are based on conveniently reversible cell reactions that...
01:24Types of Reversible Electrodes
For electrode reversibility to be maintained, all the reactants and products involved in the half-reaction must be present at the electrode. There are several types of reversible electrodes (half-cells).In metal-metal-ion electrodes, a metal balances electrochemically with a solution of its own ions. Examples are Cu2+|Cu and Zn2+|Zn. Metals that react with the solvent, like group 1 and most group 2 metals, which react with water, and zinc, which reacts with aqueous acidic solutions, cannot be...
01:22Heterogeneous Catalysis
Heterogeneous catalysis involves a catalyst in a different phase from the reactants. It is a process where the catalyst and the reactants are in distinct phases, typically solid and gas or liquid.Most heterogeneous catalysts are metals, metal oxides, or acids. The list includes transition metals like iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), tungsten (W), silver (Ag), and copper (Cu). These metals possess partially vacant d orbitals that...