Nanoscale surface coating to enable stable and sendrite-free Zn anode for rechargeable aqueous Zn-ion batteries

开发廉价、安全、环保的电能存储（EES）技术是将可再生能源无缝集成到加拿大和全球智能电网的必要条件。锂离子电池已广泛应用于便携式设备和电动汽车中，但由于使用易燃的有机电解质，锂离子电池存在高成本和固有的安全问题（火灾和爆炸）。近年来，水基锌离子电池因其安全、低成本、环保、高能量密度等优点而受到广泛关注。然而，目前的ZIBs性能较差，部分原因是由于锌阳极上的锌枝晶问题。锌枝晶是电池在循环过程中形成的针状结构，会导致电池效率和容量降低，并刺穿隔膜造成短路。在这个项目中，英属哥伦比亚大学刘健博士的团队与MGX矿业公司合作，旨在通过使用先进的原子层沉积（ALD）技术实现的纳米级和多功能表面涂层来解决锌枝晶问题。所提出的纳米涂层有望调节锌的成核和生长，防止锌枝晶生长，减轻锌阳极与电解质之间的副反应，从而提高锌离子电池的整体性能。工业合作伙伴将利用该项目中开发的新型锌阳极制作zbs的原型并扩大生产规模，以实现商业化。这种新型电池技术的应用不仅会给当地带来经济效益，还有助于扩大可再生能源的广泛采用，减少对碳密集型燃料的依赖，改善加拿大人的生活环境，并为向更绿色、更清洁的社会过渡做出贡献。

Development of inexpensive, safe, and environmentally benign electrical energy storage (EES) technologies is imperative to seamlessly integrate renewable energy into the smart grid in Canada and globally. Lithium-ion batteries have been widely used in portable devices and electric vehicles, but suffer from high cost and inherent safety issues (fires and explosion) associated with the use of flammable organic elecrolytes. Recently, aqueous-based zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have attracted great attention as a promising EES technology, due to the high safety, low cost, environmental friendliness, and relatively high energy density. However, current ZIBs have poor performance partially due to Zn dendrite problem on Zn anode. Zn dendrites are needle-like structure formed during battery cycling that can lead to low efficiency and battery capacity, and pierce the separator to cause short circuit. In this project, Dr. Jian Liu's group at University of British Columbia, in collaboration with MGX Minerals Inc., aims to tackle the Zn dendrite problem by using nanoscale and multifunctional surface coating enabled by advanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. The proposed nanoscale coating is expected to regulate Zn nucleation and growth, prevent Zn dendrite growth, and alleviate side reactions between Zn anode and electrolytes, therefore improving the overall performance of Zn-ion batteries. The industrial parter will prototype and scale up the manufacuting of ZIBs with the new Zn anodes developed in this project towards commercialization. Deployment of this new battery technology will not only lead to local economic benifits, but also help increase the wide-range adoption of renewable energy, reduce dependence on carbon-intensive fuels, improve the living environment of Canadians, and contribute to the transition to a greener and cleaner society.