Issue 11, 2021

An ultralow-temperature aqueous zinc-ion battery

Abstract

The freezing of aqueous electrolytes severely limits the operation of aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) in low-temperature conditions owing to the terrible ion conductivity and interface kinetics. Here, a 4 M Zn(BF4)2 electrolyte with a low freezing point (−122 °C) and high ion conductivity (1.47 mS cm−1 at −70 °C) is developed for AZIBs. Comprehensive analyses, including spectroscopic measurement and theoretical calculation, demonstrate that introducing BF4 anions can break the hydrogen-bond networks in original water molecules by the formation of OH⋯F hydrogen bonds, resulting in an ultralow freezing point. The 4 M Zn(BF4)2-based electrolyte enables the Zn//tetrachlorobenzoquinone (TCBQ) battery to exhibit excellent electrochemical performance in the wide temperature range of 25 to −95 °C, achieving a high discharge capacity of 63.5 mA h g−1 and energy density of 76.2 W h kg−1 at a record-breaking temperature of −95 °C. This work provides a simple and green strategy to design high-performance AZIBs at low-temperature conditions.

Graphical abstract: An ultralow-temperature aqueous zinc-ion battery

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
23 Dec 2020
Accepted
09 Feb 2021
First published
10 Feb 2021

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2021,9, 7042-7047

An ultralow-temperature aqueous zinc-ion battery

T. Sun, X. Yuan, K. Wang, S. Zheng, J. Shi, Q. Zhang, W. Cai, J. Liang and Z. Tao, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2021, 9, 7042 DOI: 10.1039/D0TA12409E

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