Rechargeable aqueous
zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are receiving increased attention because
of their high safety and low cost. However, their practical application
is plagued by their low energy density as a result of low output voltage
and a narrow voltage window of aqueous electrolytes. Here, we explored
a ZIB with a wider potential window using bication (1 M Al(CF3SO3)3/1 M Zn(CF3SO3)2) as the electrolyte and α-MnO2 as
the cathode, obtaining a discharge voltage of 1.7 V, ∼0.3 V
higher than the value reported earlier. The resultant cell delivers
a record high energy density of 448 W h kg–1 (based
on MnO2 mass) and retains 100% capacity over 1000 cycles.
The ion-storage mechanism and the role of Al3+ in enlarging
the output voltage were elucidated. This research indicates the important
role of using bications in improving the electrochemical performance
of aqueous ZIBs, opening a new way to increase the energy density
of aqueous energy storage devices.
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