An Ultrahigh Performance Zinc-Organic Battery using Poly(catechol) Cathode in Zn(TFSI)2-Based Concentrated Aqueous Electrolytes

Aqueous zinc-metal batteries (AZMBs) are predicted to be an attractive solutions for viable, high-performance, and large-scale energy storage applications, but their advancement is greatly hindered by the lack of adequate aqueous electrolytes and sustainable cathodes. Herein, an ultra-robust Zn-polymer AZMB is demonstrated using poly(catechol) redox copolymer (P(4VC(86)-stat-SS14)) as the cathode and concentrated Zn(TFSI)(2) aqueous solution as stable electrolyte. The Zn(TFSI)(2) electrolyte shows enhanced ion-transport properties and confers improved (electro)chemical compatibility with superior cell performance compared to traditional ZnSO4. The assembled Zn||P(4VC(86)-stat-SS14) (2.5 mg cm(-2) polymer loading) cell simultaneously delivers remarkable capacities of 324 and 98 mAh g(-1) at 1 and 450 C, respectively, and extremely high cyclability with only 0.00035% capacity fading rate/cycle over 48 000 cycles at 30 C. Interestingly, this battery can also operate at extremely low temperatures (-35 degrees C) still maintaining good capacity values (178 mAh g(-1)). Moreover, 352 Wh kg(polymer)(-1) specific energy is attractive, while the high value of 72 Wh kg(polymer)(-1) at unprecedented specific power of 150 kW kg(polymer)(-1) is particularly intriguing. This overall performance is far superior to the state-of-the-art AZMBs, making it a competitive choice for sustainable batteries without compromising performance.

Automated summary

A robust Zn-polymer AZMB with poly(catechol) redox copolymer as cathode and concentrated Zn(TFSI)(2) aqueous solution as stable electrolyte is demonstrated, showing enhanced ion-transport properties and superior cell performance compared to traditional ZnSO4. This battery delivers remarkable capacities, extremely high cyclability, and attractive specific energy and power values, making it a competitive choice for sustainable batteries.