Novel Electrode Materials Based Zn-Air Batteries for Energy Storage: From Fundamental Aspects to System Engineering

用于储能的新型电极材料锌空气电池：从基础方面到系统工程

• 批准号: 339689134
• 负责人: Professor Dr. Rolf Jürgen Behm
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Institut für Theoretische Chemie
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2016-12-31 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/339689134?language=en
• 关键词: Novel; Electrode; Materials; Based; Zn

Metal-air batteries (MAB) and especially zinc-air batteries (ZABs) have attracted much attention as promising electrochemical energy storage techniques because of their high energy density, low cost and high safety. The technical application of ZABs is hindered, however, by basic problems such as (i) the lack of suitable bi-functional oxygen reduction/evolution (ORR/OER) catalysts, possibly combined with novel gas diffusion electrode structures, (ii) dendrite formation during Zn deposition (charging) on the Zn anode, leading to short-circuiting of the ZAB, and (iii) deficits in the mass/heat management of the battery required to sustain a long cycling life. These problems are addressed in the present project by combining the preparation, systematic modification and in situ characterization of realistic bi-functional ORR/OER catalyst materials and of functional zinc anodes with experimental studies of structurally/ chemically well-defined model electrodes and the theoretical description based on density functional theory adapted to an electrochemical environment. Anion or cation doped spinel oxides are proposed as efficient, low cost bi-functional ORR/OER catalysts, as they allow us to vary the chemical properties of the active centers (metal surface ions) in different ways, as required for bi-functional catalysts active for ORR and OER. For an improved gas/liquid mass transport a novel porous gas diffusion electrode will be designed, where the bi-functional catalyst is loaded on a Ni foam whose hydrophobicity is optimized by a hydrophobic polypyrrole film. Zinc dendrite formation at the anode shall be addressed by preparing porous shell confined Zn grains to inhibit the diffusion of Zn2+ ions and by adding specifically adsorbed ions to suppress the growth of Zn dendrites. This will be accompanied by identifying optimized operating conditions and technical electrode structures such as porous oxygen electrodes on the basis of technical simulations, and by optimizing the battery design with respect to mass and heat transport. The results of this strategy will be validated in half-cell measurements and full cell battery tests.

金属-空气电池（MAB），特别是锌-空气电池（ZAB），因其能量密度高、成本低、安全性好等优点，成为一种极具发展前景的电化学储能技术。然而，ZAB的技术应用受到基本问题的阻碍，所述基本问题例如（i）缺乏合适的双功能氧还原/析氧（ORR/OER）催化剂，其可能与新型气体扩散电极结构结合，（ii）在Zn沉积过程中的枝晶形成，（iii）在Zn沉积过程中的枝晶形成，（iv）在Zn（充电），导致ZAB短路，以及（iii）维持长循环寿命所需的电池的质量/热管理的不足。这些问题在本项目中得到解决，通过结合制备，系统的修改和原位表征的现实的双功能ORR/OER催化剂材料和功能锌阳极的结构/化学定义良好的模型电极和理论描述的实验研究的基础上，密度泛函理论适应于电化学环境。阴离子或阳离子掺杂的尖晶石氧化物被提出作为有效的、低成本的双功能ORR/OER催化剂，因为它们允许我们以不同的方式改变活性中心（金属表面离子）的化学性质，如对ORR和OER具有活性的双功能催化剂所要求的。为了改善气/液传质，将设计一种新型多孔气体扩散电极，其中双功能催化剂负载在其疏水性通过疏水聚吡咯膜优化的Ni泡沫上。阳极处的锌枝晶形成应通过制备多孔壳限制的Zn晶粒以抑制Zn 2+离子的扩散和通过添加特定吸附的离子以抑制Zn枝晶的生长来解决。 这将伴随着在技术模拟的基础上确定优化的操作条件和技术电极结构，如多孔氧电极，以及优化电池设计的质量和热量传输。该策略的结果将在半电池测量和全电池测试中得到验证。