In the quest for efficient and flexible energy storage solutions, researchers have long grappled with the challenges posed by zinc-metal batteries. A recent breakthrough, however, might just change the game. Scientists led by Bo Xiang from the State Key Laboratory of New Textile Materials and Advanced Processing at Wuhan Textile University have developed a novel textile-based zinc anode that promises to address some of the critical issues hindering the practical deployment of aqueous zinc-metal batteries (AZBs).
The team’s innovation lies in their use of an electroless plating strategy to create a three-dimensional copper-coated flexible host on cotton cloth, dubbed Cu@CT. This design not only homogenizes the local current density but also spatially regulates zinc-ion flux and accommodates substantial volume changes during cycling. “The zincophilic copper coating facilitates zinc nucleation and deposition by forming copper-zinc alloys, which reduce the zinc nucleation overpotential and promote uniform zinc plating,” explains Xiang. This results in a highly reversible zinc plating/stripping behavior with an impressive average Coulombic efficiency of 99.58% over 800 cycles, accompanied by low polarization and dendrite-free behavior.
The implications for the energy sector are significant. Flexible batteries are in high demand for wearable electronics, medical devices, and other applications where traditional rigid batteries fall short. The Zn-I2 full cell developed by Xiang’s team demonstrates excellent rate capability, delivering a discharge capacity of 114 mA h g−1 at 10 A g−1, along with stable long-term cycling performance over 950 cycles. This could pave the way for more efficient and durable energy storage solutions in a variety of industries.
“The electroless plating strategy may represent a promising pathway for advancing high-performance AZBs,” says Xiang. This research, published in *Materials Reports: Energy* (formerly known as *Materials Today Energy*), could indeed open new avenues for the development of flexible, high-performance batteries, shaping the future of energy storage and delivery.
As the world continues to seek sustainable and efficient energy solutions, innovations like these bring us one step closer to a future powered by advanced, flexible, and reliable energy storage technologies. The commercial impacts could be profound, with potential applications ranging from consumer electronics to large-scale energy storage systems. The research not only highlights the importance of interdisciplinary approaches but also underscores the potential of textile-based materials in the realm of energy storage.