A one-pot method to prepare a ZnO/Ag/polypyrrole composite for zinc alkaline secondary batteries

Abstract

A ZnO/Ag/polypyrrole (ZAP) composite was synthesized by a facile one-pot method in which silver ammonia complex ions were reduced to metallic silver using a pyrrole monomer as the reducing agent. Meanwhile, the pyrrole monomer was oxidized and formed polypyrrole. When evaluated as an anode material for zinc alkaline secondary batteries, the composite demonstrated a superior electrochemical performance. This material presented a much more stable cycle performance and better reversibility in a galvanostatic discharge–charge test. These virtues are due to the good conductivity of silver and the trapping effect of polypyrrole, which retain the zincate ions in the vicinity of the electrode rather than dissolving into the electrolyte.