Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol.39, No.9, 2353-2360, September, 2022
An integrated dendrite-free zinc metal electrode for corrosion inhibition in aqueous system
Zinc ion batteries have gotten increasing attention as a potential candidate for lithium-ion batteries, due to their high specific capacity (820 mAh·g-1), energy density, and safety. Inevitably, dendrite and corrosion create some trouble for this system. Herein, an integrated Zn electrode coated by Zn-Al metal oxides prepared by a simple spincoating method was utilized to increase the rechargeability for aqueous zinc ion batteries. By coating the Zn anode with an artificial electrolyte interface, the wettability of Zn anodes was improved and impedance was reduced. The coating suppressed not only the appearance of dendrite but also the formation of corrosion products. The symmetrical cells with coating have a low overpotential (43mV) and an excellent life span. Meanwhile, the applied full batteries exhibit an improved capacity retention rate (86.67% after 120 cycles), great rate performance and low apparent activation energy (24.6 KJ·mol-1). The simple production methods and superior corrosion suppression effects provide new ideas for the anode protection of aqueous system batteries.