Modulating electrolyte structure for ultralow temperature aqueous zinc batteries

Qiu Zhang, Yilin Ma, Yong Lu, Lin Li, Fang Wan, Kai Zhang and Jun Chen ()
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Qiu Zhang: Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University
Yilin Ma: Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University
Yong Lu: Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University
Lin Li: Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University
Fang Wan: Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University
Kai Zhang: Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University
Jun Chen: Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Renewable Energy Conversion and Storage Center (RECAST), College of Chemistry, Nankai University

Nature Communications, 2020, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Rechargeable aqueous batteries are an up-and-coming system for potential large-scale energy storage due to their high safety and low cost. However, the freeze of aqueous electrolyte limits the low-temperature operation of such batteries. Here, we report the breakage of original hydrogen-bond network in ZnCl2 solution by modulating electrolyte structure, and thus suppressing the freeze of water and depressing the solid-liquid transition temperature of the aqueous electrolyte from 0 to –114 °C. This ZnCl2-based low-temperature electrolyte renders polyaniline||Zn batteries available to operate in an ultra-wide temperature range from –90 to +60 °C, which covers the earth surface temperature in record. Such polyaniline||Zn batteries are robust at –70 °C (84.9 mA h g−1) and stable during over 2000 cycles with ~100% capacity retention. This work significantly provides an effective strategy to propel low-temperature aqueous batteries via tuning the electrolyte structure and widens the application range of temperature adaptation of aqueous batteries.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18284-0

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