Electrode-Less MnO2-Metal Batteries with Deposition and Stripping Chemistry

Electrode materials are key components in typical batteries, where the electrodes are generally fabricated onto current collectors in solid forms and are isolated by a separator. However, the preparation of the electrodes increases the fabrication complexity, which speeds down their large-scale production. Here, series of static electrode-less MnO2-metal batteries are presented that are facilely fabricated by using carbon current collectors and electrolytes. The MnO2-metal batteries are operated in dual-deposition/stripping chemistries of Mn2+/MnO2 on the cathode and M/Mx+ on the anode. The MnO2-Cd/Zn/Cu batteries exhibit remarkable rates up to 200 C, excellent reversibility of 15 000 cycles, and realistic gravimetric and volumetric energy densities of 93.7 Wh kg(-1) and 134 Wh L-1, respectively. Impressively, the MnO2-Cd battery can achieve over 160 000 cycles in the high current pulse test, showing promises in the applications of electrical vehicle's start-stop and large-scale energy storage.

Automated summary

The study introduces electrode-less MnO2-metal batteries, fabricated easily using carbon current collectors and electrolytes, which exhibit remarkable performance characteristics such as high rates, excellent reversibility, and realistic energy densities.