With the growing demand for energy storage, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are facing challenges such as resource shortages, high costs, and environmental concerns.
To find a safer and more affordable alternative, researchers at Flinders University are working on developing aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs), a promising solution for large-scale, sustainable energy storage.
Aqueous zinc-ion batteries use zinc, a material that is 10 times more abundant in the Earth’s crust than lithium.
Zinc is also safer and less toxic, making it an ideal choice for future batteries.
AZIBs are gaining attention for their potential to power everything from electric vehicles to portable electronic devices, offering a low-cost and environmentally friendly alternative to LIBs.
“Aqueous zinc-ion batteries could have real-world applications,” says Associate Professor Zhongfan Jia, a researcher at Flinders University’s College of Science and Engineering.
AZIBs typically use zinc metal as the anode and organic or inorganic compounds as the cathode.
While much progress has been made in improving the zinc anodes, finding high-performing cathodes remains a challenge.
Professor Jia’s research focuses on solving this problem by using nitroxide radical polymer cathodes.
These cathodes are made from inexpensive commercial polymers and combined with low-cost additives to optimize battery performance.
The team’s research has led to significant improvements, producing the highest mass-loading cathodes ever recorded for AZIBs.
The research team, led by Flinders master’s student Nanduni Gamage and postdoctoral fellow Dr. Yanlin Shi, created a lab-made pouch battery using these polymers.
The materials used in the battery include a low-cost polymer (around $20 per kilogram), a non-toxic electrolyte, and carbon black, which costs just $1 per kilogram.
The resulting battery achieved a capacity of 70 milliamp hours per gram (mAh/g) and a discharge voltage of 1.4 volts. This means the battery can easily power small devices like an electric fan or model car.
The team’s findings were published in the Journal of Power Resources and Energy Storage Materials.
Their work highlights the potential of converting low-cost industrial polymers into organic cathodes for zinc-ion batteries, paving the way for more affordable and sustainable energy storage technologies.
In collaboration with researchers from Université Paris Est Creteil CNRS in France and Griffith University, the team also explored new ways to reduce the world’s reliance on lithium-ion batteries.
Their work includes developing organic radical/K dual-ion batteries, which could offer another alternative to traditional LIBs.
By focusing on sustainable materials and cost-effective solutions, the researchers at Flinders University are helping to create a future where large-scale energy storage is safer, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly.
Source: Flinders University.
