Issue 4, 2018

Aqueous vs. nonaqueous Zn-ion batteries: consequences of the desolvation penalty at the interface

Abstract

Zinc ion batteries using metallic zinc as the negative electrode have gained considerable interest for electrochemical energy storage, whose development is crucial for the adoption of renewable energy technologies, as zinc has a very high volumetric capacity (5845 mA h cm−3), is inexpensive and compatible with aqueous electrolytes. However, the divalent charge of zinc ions, which restricts the choice of host material due to hindered solid-state diffusion, can also pose a problem for interfacial charge transfer. Here, we report our findings on reversible intercalation of up to two Zn2+ ions in layered V3O7·H2O. This material exhibits very high capacity and power (375 mA h g−1 at a 1C rate, and 275 mA h g−1 at an 8C rate) in an aqueous electrolyte compared to a very low capacity and slow rate capabilities in a nonaqueous medium. Operando XRD studies, together with impedance analysis, reveal solid solution behavior associated with Zn2+-ion diffusion within a water monolayer in the interlayer gap in both systems, but very sluggish interfacial charge transfer in the nonaqueous electrolyte. This points to desolvation at the interface as a major factor in dictating the kinetics. Temperature dependent impedance studies show high activation energies associated with the nonaqueous charge transfer process, identifying the origin of poor electrochemical performance.

Graphical abstract: Aqueous vs. nonaqueous Zn-ion batteries: consequences of the desolvation penalty at the interface

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
04 фев 2018
Accepted
19 фев 2018
First published
19 фев 2018

Energy Environ. Sci., 2018,11, 881-892

Aqueous vs. nonaqueous Zn-ion batteries: consequences of the desolvation penalty at the interface

D. Kundu, S. Hosseini Vajargah, L. Wan, B. Adams, D. Prendergast and L. F. Nazar, Energy Environ. Sci., 2018, 11, 881 DOI: 10.1039/C8EE00378E

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements