Zinc–Carbon Paper Composites as Anodes for Zn-Ion Batteries: Key Impacts on Their Electrochemical Behaviors

Abstract

Zn metal, with abundant resource and low cost, exhibits large theoretical capacity and relatively negative electrode potential (−0.76 V vs SHE), which endows zinc-ion batteries with promising energy storage systems. Though great efforts have been made recently, challenges remain in the development of Zn-ion batteries, especially for the zinc anode. The zinc dendrite formation and reaction irreversibility during cycling lead to increased polarization and poor cycle performance of the battery. In addition, a Zn plate is usually used as anode when the battery is assembled, which is far beyond the theoretical quantity of Zn requested in the redox reaction, which resulted in low energy density of the battery. Zn and carbon composites are reported in literature as an efficient strategy to address these problems, yet the impact of the preparation of Zn/C composites, the corresponding structure, and the charge/discharge parameters on their electrochemical performance are not revealed. In this contribution, Zn@Carbon paper (CP) was prepared via electrodeposition of Zn on carbon paper and used as anode of the zinc-ion battery. It is found that the morphology and electrochemical performance of Zn@CP are quite dependent on the electrodeposition current density during preparation, which might be related to nucleation activation energy at the beginning of the electrodeposition. Beyond the preparation of Zn@CP, the depth of discharge (DOD) during cycling is crucial in determining its electrochemical behavior. This work would benefit the design of Zn-based composite anode materials for further advancement of Zn-ion batteries with superior performance.

Towards Understanding the Corrosion Behavior of Zinc‐Metal Anode in Aqueous Systems: From Fundamentals to Strategies

“…Several problems are posed when using commercial zinc flakes or zinc foils as the anode, such as the rough surface, the corrosion and the decreased utilization of the pristine zinc. [114][115][116] The electrodeposition morphology of Zn anode is related to the binding energies between various collectors and Zn (Figure 15a and b). Copper-based materials are the suitable substrates for Zn electrodeposition due to their lower nucleation overpotential and high binding energies than other substances.…”

“…Several problems are posed when using commercial zinc flakes or zinc foils as the anode, such as the rough surface, the corrosion and the decreased utilization of the pristine zinc [114–116] . The electrodeposition morphology of Zn anode is related to the binding energies between various collectors and Zn (Figure 15a and b).…”

An Artificial Polyacrylonitrile Coating Layer Confining Zinc Dendrite Growth for Highly Reversible Aqueous Zinc‐Based Batteries

“…[17][18][19][20] Zn-metal alloys were introduced as potential candidates for dendrite-free zinc anodes. [21,22] Benefitting from rich deposition sites, multidimensional zinc hosts, such as 3D copper, [23,24] carbon nanotube (CNT) frameworks, [25] carbon fiber mats, [26] polyarylimide covalent organic frameworks (PI-COFs), [27] and porous carbonized metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), [28,29] have also been employed as current collectors to obtain dendrite-free zinc anodes. Electrolyte engineering (electrolyte additives, [30][31][32][33] water-starved electrolytes, [34][35][36][37][38] deep eutectic solvent electrolytes, [39,40] (quasi-) solid-state electrolytes, [41][42][43][44][45] alkaline-mild hybrid electrolytes, [46,47] etc.)…”

Exploration of the Unique Structural Chemistry of Sulfur Cathode for High‐Energy Rechargeable Beyond‐Li Batteries

“…[237,238] Besides that, a reductive potential of À0.76 V versus SHE makes it suitable for both aqueous-and nonaqueous-based electrolytes. [239][240][241] There is a dearth of studies on Zn-S battery chemistry, which could be due to the challenge in constructing a Zn anode system, besides slow or sluggish kinetics of the sulfur cathode. Recently, aqueous-based electrolyte systems have been examined for Zn/S battery systems.…”

“…[ 237,238 ] Besides that, a reductive potential of −0.76 V versus SHE makes it suitable for both aqueous‐ and nonaqueous‐based electrolytes. [ 239–241 ]…”