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

开发廉价、安全和环境友好的电能存储（EES）技术对于将可再生能源无缝集成到加拿大和全球的智能电网中至关重要。锂离子电池已广泛用于便携式装置和电动车辆中，但存在与使用易燃有机电解质相关的高成本和固有安全问题（火灾和爆炸）。近年来，水基锌离子电池（ZIB）由于安全性高、成本低、环境友好和相对高的能量密度而作为一种有前途的EES技术引起了极大的关注。然而，目前的ZIB具有较差的性能，部分是由于Zn阳极上的Zn枝晶问题。锌枝晶是在电池循环过程中形成的针状结构，其可导致低效率和电池容量，并刺穿隔膜以引起短路。在这个项目中，不列颠哥伦比亚省的刘健博士的团队与MGX矿业公司合作，旨在通过使用先进原子层沉积（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Zn成核和生长，防止Zn枝晶生长，并减轻Zn阳极和电解质之间的副反应，从而提高Zn离子电池的整体性能。工业合作伙伴将利用该项目开发的新锌阳极进行ZIB的原型和规模化生产，以实现商业化。这种新电池技术的部署不仅会给当地带来经济效益，还有助于增加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，并有助于向更绿色和更清洁的社会过渡。

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.