Nanocarbon armor reinforced Ag particles to build a high-rate and long-lifespan aqueous Zn2+/Cl− dual-ion battery

Abstract

Dual-ion batteries are considered as some of the most promising battery systems because of their safety and high energy density. However, previously developed dual-ion batteries are mostly non-aqueous systems. In this work, a rechargeable Zn-based aqueous dual-ion battery is built by using Zn²⁺ and Cl⁻ as charge carriers, in which nanocarbon armor reinforced Ag particles are employed as the cathode and metallic Zn is used as the anode. The nanocarbon armor effectively constrained the volume change of Ag particles and concurrently mitigated Ag dissolution throughout the cycling process. Under the protection of the nanocarbon armor, the reinforced Ag cathode endows the Zn²⁺/Cl⁻ dual-ion battery with outstanding electrochemical performance. It can deliver a high reversible capacity of 1301.5 mA h cm⁻³ with a good capacity retention of 96.1% after 1700 cycles at 20 C. Even when cycled at a higher rate of 70 C, this Zn-based dual-ion battery can deliver a capacity of 1275.2 mA h cm⁻³ and a platform capacity contribution of 83.9%. This work sheds light on the development of advanced aqueous dual-ion batteries for next-generation energy storage systems.