Issue 39, 2019

Zinc–air batteries: are they ready for prime time?

Abstract

Zn–air batteries are under revival. They have large theoretical energy density and potentially very low manufacturing cost compared to the existing Li-ion technology. However, their full potential has not been fulfilled due to challenges associated with air cathodes and Zn anodes. In this minireview, we present the current status and technical hurdles of Zn–air batteries and discuss the possible direction of their future improvements. We show that in contrast to tremendous efforts on the design and development of efficient cathode electrocatalysts over recent years, the pursuit of stable and cyclable Zn anodes is equally important but receives far less attention than deserved. We therefore call for a shift of future research focus from cathode electrocatalysts to Zn anodes in order to make this century old technology a truly commercial reality.

Graphical abstract: Zinc–air batteries: are they ready for prime time?

Article information

Article type
Minireview
Submitted
22 Ago 2019
Accepted
23 Sep 2019
First published
24 Sep 2019
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Chem. Sci., 2019,10, 8924-8929

Zinc–air batteries: are they ready for prime time?

J. Zhang, Q. Zhou, Y. Tang, L. Zhang and Y. Li, Chem. Sci., 2019, 10, 8924 DOI: 10.1039/C9SC04221K

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