Chinese breakthrough helps zinc water batteries reach 1,700 cycles

Researchers at China’s Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) have developed a significant advancement in aqueous zinc metal batteries (AZMBs) by creating a multiphase “soggy sand” electrolyte (MASSE). This innovation addresses key challenges in AZMBs, such as hydrogen gas release from water splitting, corrosion, side reactions at high temperatures, and dendrite formation that can cause battery failure. The MASSE electrolyte, constructed by immobilizing diethylene glycol and aluminum oxide nanoparticles, restricts free water activity, enhancing thermal stability and enabling uniform zinc deposition even at elevated temperatures up to 140°C (284°F). The team demonstrated the MASSE’s effectiveness by building a Zn||PANI full cell that operated reliably over 1700 cycles across a wide temperature range, with a current density of 8 A/g. Additionally, a zinc-metal pouch cell showed over 100 stable cycles at 80°C with uniform temperature distribution. This breakthrough not only improves the durability and safety of