Enhancement on Cycle Performance of Zn Anodes by Activated Carbon Modification for Neutral Rechargeable Zinc Ion Batteries

A novel composite anode is prepared by mixing zinc particles with activated carbon (AC) to improve the cycle performance of the neutral rechargeable zinc ion batteries. Galvanostatic charge/discharge cycling tests indicate that the capacity retention of the cell with adding 12 wt% activated carbon in Zn anode is 85.6% after 80 cycles, which is much higher than that of 56.7% for the cell using unmodified Zn anode. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the addition of activated carbon can suppress the formation of inactive basic zinc sulfates (Zn4SO4(OH)(6) center dot nH(2)O). Morphology, elemental mapping and N-2 adsorption and desorption measurements indicate that the pores of activated carbon can accommodate the deposition of Zn dendrites and insoluble anodic products. As a result, the cycle stability of the Zn anode has been greatly enhanced by activated carbon modification. (C) The Author(s) 2015. Published by ECS.