2. Academic Validation
  3. Carbon Dioxide Evolution in Aqueous Zinc Metal Batteries

Carbon Dioxide Evolution in Aqueous Zinc Metal Batteries

  • ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2024 Dec 18;16(50):69133-69141. doi: 10.1021/acsami.4c12005.
Zhenrui Wu 1,  Yijia Shao 1 2,  Evan J Hansen 1,  Li Tao 1,  Rameez A Mir 1,  Dawid Kasprzak 1,  Jian Liu 1
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 School of Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, The University of British Columbia, Kelowna V1V 1V7, Canada.
  • 2 The Key Laboratory of Fuel Cell Technology of Guangdong Province & The Key Laboratory of New Energy, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China.
PMID: 39696789 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c12005
Abstract

Gas evolution reactions in aqueous zinc metal batteries (AZMBs) cause gas accumulation and battery swelling that negatively affect their performance. However, previous work often reported hydrogen as the main, if not the only, gas species evolved in AZMBs; the complexity of gas evolution has been overlooked. For the first time, this work found the CO2 evolution reaction (CER) in AZMBs, pinpointed its sources, and identified electrolyte modulation strategies. Using differential electrochemical mass spectrometry, CER was detected in V2O5||Zn full cells, instead of in asymmetric Cu||Zn cells, and it became substantial when being charged to 2.0 V. By using a carbon isotope tracing method, the primary origin of CER was identified as the electrochemical corrosion of conductive carbon at the cathode. Among six representative electrolytes, the weakly solvating electrolyte (3 m Zn(OTf)2 in acetonitrile/water) presented a high CER resistance by reducing water solvating and disturbing hydrogen bonding. This work sheds light on interfacial parasitic reactions for practical aqueous metal (Zn and Al) batteries.

Keywords

aqueous zinc metal batteries; carbon corrosion; carbon dioxide; gas evolution; interface.

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