Phase-transition tailored nanoporous zinc metal electrodes for rechargeable alkaline zinc-nickel oxide hydroxide and zinc-air batteries

Secondary alkaline Zn batteries are cost-effective, safe, and energy-dense devices, but they are limited in rechargeability. Their short cycle life is caused by the transition between metallic Zn and ZnO, whose differences in electronic conductivity, chemical reactivity, and morphology undermine uniform electrochemical reactions and electrode structural stability. To circumvent these issues, here we propose an electrode design with bi-continuous metallic zinc nanoporous structures capable of stabilizing the electrochemical transition between metallic Zn and ZnO. In particular, via in situ optical microscopy and electrochemical impedance measurements, we demonstrate the kinetics-controlled structural evolution of Zn and ZnO. We also tested the electrochemical energy storage performance of the nanoporous zinc electrodes in alkaline zinc-nickel oxide hydroxide (NiOOH) and zinc-air (using Pt/C/IrO₂-based air-electrodes) coin cell configurations. The Zn | |NiOOH cell delivers an areal capacity of 30 mAh/cm² at 60% depth of discharging for 160 cycles, and the Zn | |Pt/C/IrO₂ air cell demonstrates 80-hour stable operation in lean electrolyte condition.