Rechargeable hybrid organic Zn battery (ReHOZnB) with non-flammable electrolyte

Zn-based rechargeable batteries suffer from thermodynamic instability of Zn anode in aqueous electrolytes that results in low Coulombic efficiencies (CEs) and decreased anode reversibility. Therefore, as an alternative, non-aqueous Zn-battery chemistry has gained significant attention in the recent times that can effectively resolve the issues of thermodynamic instability along with improvement in CE of Zn plating/stripping. However, the adoption of organic electrolytes over aqueous ones throws a serious safety challenge. In this work, traditional aqueous electrolytes have been replaced by an intrinsically safe organic electrolyte in dual-ion Zn bat-teries to construct a rechargeable hybrid organic Zn battery (ReHOZnB) that effectively addresses the safety concerns along with providing highly reversible Zn anode. The Zn/ Na2Mn[Fe(CN)(6)] (Na2MnHCf) battery delivered a reversible capacity of 89.3 mAh g(-1) at a C-rate of 1 (1C = 160 mA g(-1)) exhibiting long term cycling stability with a capacity retention of 77% (66%) after 1000 (2000) charge-discharge cycles. The cycling performance has been stabilized through in-situ generation of cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI). This works provides an alternate electrolyte for the development of safe Zn batteries.

Automated summary

This study replaced traditional aqueous electrolytes with a safe organic electrolyte to construct a dual-ion zinc battery that addresses safety concerns and provides highly reversible zinc anode. The battery exhibited high reversible capacity and cycling stability in long-term cycling tests.