Zinc-air batteries can fulfill diversified application scenarios

Abstract

Zinc-air batteries have been laying in the laboratory for decades of years, enjoying the low-current density galvanostatic cycling test at comfortable room temperatures, almost forgetting their identity as the practical batteries. The best way to revive and reinvigorate zinc-air batteries is through career planning, particularly by analyzing their advantages and disadvantages and identifying their potential applications. This will help to chart a course for the future. Building on its unique advantages of utilizing aqueous electrolyte, being low-cost, and having high environmental adaptability, we have proposed a clear career plan with a focus on wearable devices, extreme temperatures, and marine applications. In this review, we discuss the inherent advantages, current advances, and future direction, intending to remind the battery that the Zn-air battery is intended for practical use to fulfill diverse scenarios.

Keywords

extreme temperatures / flexible batteries / marine applications / zinc-air batteries

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Funding

Key Research and Development Program of Yunnan Province(202103AA080019); Ordos-Tsinghua Innovative & Collaborative Research Program in Carbon Neutrality, S&T Program of Hebei(22344402D); National Natural Science Foundation of China(21825501); Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program